


Paths We Pave

by OrenRune, thatarikuchan



Category: No Straight Roads (Video Game)
Genre: College year, F/M, Fluff, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 25,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27338479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrenRune/pseuds/OrenRune, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatarikuchan/pseuds/thatarikuchan
Summary: Balastik Tech and Arca Visual University- the birth place for so many prominent figures in Vinyl City. You either make it or break it here. This is the story of how 2 such individuals will go against all challenges and lay it on the line for their dreams. Zuke and Nadia. We'll follow their lives as well as their relationship throughout their undergrad and masters' programs! Especially how Zuke goes into Fine Arts and Music! By the end we will leave you with options on how you want their story to end and which AU that follows up this story you will read! Harmonic Ambivalence, or Ethereal Dissonance? Or will you go down their canon path in NSR? It'll be up to you!Paths We Pave is the heart of it all and we hope you enjoy this in depth look Rune and I will be providing you all! The story includes art work Rune and I have created for the chapters, so please enjoy!
Relationships: Eve | Nadia/Zuke (No Straight Roads)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	1. A Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Its finally here! the past 3 weeks of planning, discussing, drawing and writing! Mine and OrenRune's collab fic, Paths We Pave, our college days fic for Zuke and Eve as well as our prequel fic for No Straight Roads! We'll be writing events following these two, their relationship as well as their struggles and key events in their college years! All artwork seen in the chapters were created by Rune and myself during our collab streams unless otherwise stated in notes!  
> You may find us both on twitter where we post a bunch of NSR art, rt others, and updates on our stories!
> 
> ***It is worth me noting that in the beginning of this fic, Nadia is still not 100% comfortable with her pink side and uses makeup to cover herself up. But as things progress, she will become comfortable and we will start to see the rise of the Eve we know in canon!***
> 
> My Twitter:  
> https://twitter.com/merluvli
> 
> Rune's Twitter:  
> https://twitter.com/RuneSho

**_Paths We Pave_ **

_A story detailing the college lives of Zuke and Eve_

__

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

The winds of fall were blowing and leaves were barely starting to change color- a telling sign that a new quarter was just beginning for all incoming and returning students. Lush hills and a sprawling landscape where various sculptures and art installations decorated vibrant fields that overlooked the ocean’s edge set the scene for the highly esteemed campus known as Arca Visual University. The place where any artist with a shred of dignity or dreams of making a name for themselves should attend, by any means necessary. A degree in any program and at any level as well as a letter of recommendation from Arca Visual Studios could almost guarantee a fresh graduate would be handed a job straight out of college. With the idolized city of musical prowess and talent, Vinyl City, looming in the background, students new and returning alike felt inspired to take on the challenges that awaited them here. Aspiring artists of all kinds apply and only a selected elite are granted acceptance letters. Of those, AVU almost _always_ sees a 100% turnout based on those accepted. Essentially, artists from all backgrounds flock here and whether they are well off or not, somehow the ones accepted and given this chance to attend such a prominent and successful university that preps them entirely for the art industry world in every sense find a way to make it happen. Known for its diverse student body and plethora of well known artists who have graduated from here, Arca Visual University is certainly a place where dreams are either made or broken. As the new semester unfolds, this message will ring true as it always does. Like that of creating a fine sculpture, the university will first break down the students to their raw forms before guiding and building them, shaping them and placing the finishing touches on these new artists throughout the course of their studies.

Now art alone isn’t responsible for Vinyl City and the massive extents of innovations and technology implemented into it. Like how the finer arts pair exceedingly well with science and technology, Arca Visual University goes hand in hand with its sister university, Balastik Tech, an equally esteemed epicenter for the elite of cutting edge tech fields and engineering prowess. Many geniuses of the era have gone through the rigorous training and programs the university has to offer and graduates usually land lasting jobs before they even are finished with their studies. Both Universities hold collaborative events together in order to prove the harmonious efforts being directly utilized to build the music capital of the world. It is not uncommon for students in one university to show interest in the other and though it is extremely rare, some students have gone through both programs. Others have even switched upon realizing where their passions lay and to further elevate their own talents and targeted skill sets. Whatever their purpose or ambitions for travelling out here, students tend to leave it all on the line. As if these two universities are the final roadblock to not just visiting Vinyl City, but becoming _part_ of Vinyl City. Becoming something bigger than themselves. At least, that's how one student viewed it all. It made perfect sense to her, the way the two universities really acted as one with how they were laid out, detailing the perfect view of Vinyl City directly through the central archway that connected them together. This student, like many others, had just finished finding a parking spot and was in the process of grabbing her belongings. As she shut the driver side door to her small white and pink Porsche and grabbed her suitcase from the trunk, excitement swelled within. Amongst the other students walking through the parking lot towards their respective school, she towered above them all, medium length blond hair flowing behind her and a flawless cream complexion. Green eyes sparkling with excitement of new beginnings. Walking with her head high, this student paid no mind to anything else other than the sheer joy and anticipation that awaited her past those doors for Arca Visual University. A single decorative charm dangled from the keys in her hand that read “Nadia”.

To another student, the two universities are meant to judge whether or not one has what it takes to find a career and become a part of the gear that keeps everything moving, the deciding factor for those who wish to earn their place in Vinyl City. All the trials and tests exist to weed out those who don't have a shred of will or could not contribute to society any further, those people ended up as mere strays with nothing to do in their life except as a waste of space. It might sound cruel and in a way, it is, but that is how the world works. His own fate depends on his decision in this life and the thought kept him going. Unlike some students who have the full support of their parents for a decent transportation, he had to pay for almost everything… not all in form of money, the time spent trying to find a parking spot in a sea of bikes is something he paid for having an old blue scooter. At least he doesn't need to worry about missing the bus. He catches a familiar loud laughter not far from where he had found an empty spot, drawing his attention away for a short bit. Oh how he regrets ever taking a glance at the direction of a man, standing in front of a vintage looking car of his and surrounded by his little band of misfits. It wasn't hard for him to recognize who that man was, especially since he was the youngest brother between them. Best to keep out of sight and unfortunately, that means the search for a parking spot continues. What could've been a mere five minutes spent to park a scooter turned into fifteen minutes of dragging his bike around before finding the safe spot to park. The student took his helmet off and shook his hair free, only to reach down to his pocket and grabbed a hair band to keep his hair tied up neatly. Though with a shirt and jeans on, he was far from being a well presentable student of his respective school. Which should've said a lot about what kind of student he is, right? No, it shouldn't matter. With a sigh, he readjust his satchel before putting his keys away and rushing his way toward the Balastik Tech University's entrance, the name tag attached to the keys ring pokes out, which read; "Zuke." As these two filed in with the other droves of students heading towards their respective colleges, clubs and organizations were front and center to greet and scout new recruits. “Welcome Back” banners, club posters, and aisles of booths lined the common areas around the outside commons areas of both schools with energetic cheerleaders for each table or the laid back introverts forced to come out and represent their craft and talent. From wonderful displays of art to live showcases of technology all made by the students, with several booths showing the combination of both elements presenting the union of the two universities. The closer they got to the buildings the louder the music that was playing got as well, really tying the entire vibe together. Stages were set up on every corner of the area, all themed differently from one another as their music drew in crowds of newcomers and sparked any interest they have for the performed genre. From the common pop music to funky disco, all of which are bringing life to the festivities. Despite the diversity, one genre dominates the most area and draws the most crowd in the room; EDM. 

The rise of NSR in the recent years have created many doors for other genres to be molded into EDM, it’s the reason why the city thrives in the first place and it wasn’t uncommon for students to integrate themselves into these clubs and communities to pursue careers in NSR itself. Whether to be one of the artists candidates gaining the backing of NSR and the chance of becoming a district charter for their gained popularity or as one of its innovators who will help the effort in solving the city’s power crisis and to further the city’s own technological advances. This, combined with students’ own ambitions and dreams, was the singular driving force for the student body that unified them all. 

A person clearing their throat snapped Nadia out of her daydream and the tall blond directed her attention to who she assumed was a student council member, the Arca Visual Studios brand name blazer being a dead giveaway and she smiled. The man before her who had been smiling before blushed ever so slightly as Nadia walked up to him, feeling slightly nervous as he clearly underestimated her height. Nadia didn’t seem to notice and spoke cheerfully. “Oh I’m sorry, got caught up in my own thoughts! Are you the one we check in with to get our dorm keys?” She asked, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. The man stuttered a bit before opting to just nod his head and look down at his clipboard, hoping to hide the blush across his face. Whether Nadia noticed or not was unclear, she was all smiles nonetheless as she gave the man her name. After checking through his list and checking off her name, he sifted through an organized array of keys before procuring Nadia’s and handing them to her.  
“Oh thank you so much! Are you also a student at Arca Visual University?” She asked, her big green eyes full of that new student glow. The man stuttered at first but cleared his throat and nodded, trying to get a grip of himself. 

"Y-yes! Yes I am actually! I'm in my Junior year of undergrad studies here. I work on the student council committee here part time." He went on to explain much to Eve's fascination.

"Oh! Then you must have seen my work already! My scholarship submission should be on display somewhere...hmmm, do you know where I can the um.."

"The Breakout Artist Organization, of course! You're gonna wanna go down the main aisle and they should have their exhibit on display next to Balastik's Innovator's Society! On your way over, please take your time and enjoy the rest of the festivities and see what other clubs have to offer. There's a lot going on, and since you're one of our scholarship winners, might be a good idea to go show your face for the crowd too. You know, like that first taste of Vinyl City life~" The upperclassmen had seemed to calm down, seeing how Nadia's eyes lit up as he spoke. She couldn't hide the smile on her face, nor the chuckle she gave as she avoided his gaze out of embarrassment.

"I'm sure it's not that big of a deal, all students here are extraordinary in their own right it seems like. Such a big honor to even be accepted!" She replied, playing off the compliment. "In any case, I'll be sure to explore, thank you for all your help! I'm sure you'll be seeing me around." With that, she scampered off into the lively crowd, mingling here and there with others milling about.  
  
A lively crowd might be what the festival needs for their event, but for Zuke... It’s far from where he really wanted to be, let alone for him to deal with. But here he is, standing in a booth wearing one of Balastik Tech’s hoodies that he’s been generously given to keep him warm while he’s filling in for a senior. Luckily he was able to sit on one of the two chairs they got available and all he needed to do is keep on watch of it, having been told that it was for attracting 'newcomers.' The only thing it's really attracting is the exhausted students looking for an empty seat to sit down and booth attendees using it as a chance to offer the freshman a position in their club. A trap that he should've seen miles away yet when his legs are in its last moment before collapsing, he had no choice but to sit. Of course, he could've held his hand up and said no. A shake of his head and a short notice that he's not interested in whatever project they're working on in their club would've made it all easier for both him and the senior leaving him this job. "One chance in a lifetime!" Zuke remembers the senior had said to him, "Join us and we'll help you bring the best out of you in Balistik Tech University! We assure you that you'll be as successful as the senior before us!" It's true that most Balastik Tech graduates come out as engineers and robotics experts who've been slowly improving the city, but he doubts there's any club that can secure student's future success like that, despite some belief that club members voiced to the freshman. One person after another passes by him, not a word or any hint of interest in the booth he's attending. Behind him, he could hear his senior club members confidently try to drag in anyone that might be a potential member. Why are they even insisting on people to join their club? Won't people whose genuinely interested will make their way to them all on their own? A sigh escaped Zuke before he opted to take his phone out, there's no better time than now to check his messages… if there was any to begin with. Several spam messages here and there, but nothing that really stood out. Taking a quick look around, there's nothing that would stop him from simply playing a game here… right? If only his timing couldn't be bad. 

"Hey," the voice brought Zuke's attention from his phone to the senior who left him a while ago, now walking up to him with a relieved smile on her face and a plastic bag hanging off her hand. "Sorry for keeping you for so long! I swear, the security here can get too tight! I mean, what harm can a food delivery guy really do? Stab a guy with a baguette?"

"Erm, yeah." Zuke stands up from his seat, letting his senior place the bag she had carried on the table before setting the boxes of ordered food out the bags. Did they buy it out of their own pocket or did they use the club’s money for it? The thought of it being the latter made his brows furrowed, unsure whether this is really the club he wanted to sign up for. That is until a box of warm food shoved to his chest, snapping him out of his thoughts as he switched looks between the food and the club member. “Th-Thank you…”

The woman gave him a pat in the back with a cheery smile, “Don’t mention it, rookie! You’ve earned it after joining us and all, just make sure to put the boxes back in the bags once you eat your food!” 

“Won’t that litter the booth?” Zuke asked while opening the box, only to be met with a puff of steam coming from the deep fried chicken cutlet and rice. The smell alone made his stomach grumble. Has he eaten anything this morning? No, last he remembered he was in a rush to catch up with his schedule and fight with the traffic. 

“What are you saying? We’re Balastik Tech’s Environmental Advancement Club!” She responded as she handed out more food to the club members that approached her for their share. “Didn’t you know that trash like this is more often dumped in the sewer? It clogs up the water system around the city and causes most of the floodings we got to deal with! Here in our club, we’re looking for ways to reduce the pollution around the city, not just the rampant floodings. Putting these boxes to good use instead of just throwing it away might seem like barely any help, but you know what they say; all it takes is the smallest step to make a difference!”

Zuke picked up a spoon and took the first bite off his food, all while listening intently. It’s true that the pollution has been getting worse, it’s nothing new throughout the city and even places far outside. He knows just as much as everyone that attempts such as sending the rainwater to the sea is one of the many efforts that’s been made, yet there was more to be done to really take care of the flooding, especially from the area near the beach. Thoughts swirl around his mind as he stared at the box, weighting the one in his hand. “How do we recycle these boxes then? I-I mean, do you guys have some tech to showcase here?”

“We’re actually working on it! Here-” After folding the bag and pocketing it away, she reached down under the table and pulled out a cardboard box. A quick peek inside revealed a small filtering machine with what Zuke could only assume to be a tear apart mechanism, that alone gives him enough idea as to what the machine does. But… It’s small, approximately the size of his bike helmet. “This is the prototype we’re doing. We were planning to put up a showcasing table with a water filter and all that but, we don’t want any fire starting from the water tank spilling water and short circuiting the electrical outlets here.”

Setting his food aside, Zuke then reached out toward the device, but stopped himself before any contact was made. “Sorry, but can I take a closer look at it?” Almost forgot his manners there. A quick nod from his senior is all the heads up he needs before he picks up the device from the box, its metallic inside shines upon being hit with light from outside and- oh, so that’s what’s missing. Turning the device around, he brushed his finger against the empty panel socket. Must be where the motherboard would be, his eyes widened as it finally hits him. “You guys were trying to program an automatic filter system.”

“Exactly! See here?” She gestured to the circular saw in the device, thankfully covered with plastic for safety. “The shredder would also help increase water circulation as it tears apart any trash that’s trying to come through, the strong motors would be strong enough to cut through thick branches and trees even! Nothing metallic though as it can clog the saw, but hopefully that isn’t a problem we have to deal with, there’s already enough plastic waste to take care of already!”

“But if you add a sensor here,” Zuke tapped the top of the device, right above the shredding entrance, “Maybe you can have it automatically reverse the circulation to blow away any metallic materials that’s trying to come through. And how about adding a magnet here?” He tapped the bottom of the device, “something to collect the metals and during daily checks, someone can pick up the metal waste and repurpose them. And-” He stopped, embarrassed for what just came out of him. But the silence between them and the expectant eyes that stayed with him tells him he’s nowhere in trouble, not the usual response he’ll get from people. 

“And? Come on! Complete your words, rookie! You’re on a roll with those ideas!” 

“-And maybe… maybe we can repurpose the metals to make more of the filters? For the city pipelines?” He finally finished, a pang of relief felt through his chest once he finished his thoughts. A moment passed between them, Zuke waiting for the response that he feared would be just as he had expected. But instead… 

“That’s the spirit! Knew you’d have what it takes to be part of BTEA! Oh- I almost forgot!” The senior opened the table cabinet and took out a member’s pin, handing it out to Zuke with a smile. “There, now you’re officially one of us!” 

Crimson eyes stared at the glossed up pin, brushing his finger against the metallic surface that spelled the abbreviation of the club’s name. Maybe joining a club isn’t a bad thing after all, and maybe, these people aren’t what he thought they were. Zuke cracked a smile as he switched the pin with the device in his hand, latching it to his hoodie’s chest almost proudly. 

“Oh and rookie, can you help us with something? I hope we don’t come off as asking too much for a new guy like you.”

“N-Not at all, yeah!” Zuke quickly responded, perhaps with a bit of cheeriness to his voice. “Anything I can help with?”

“Well, once you’re done with your food, can you take the bags of boxes to one of Arca Visual’s booths? We’re working together with another club there and last we heard, they were looking to make art projects out of the recycled trash from the festival.”

“I’ll be happy to help!” Maybe sticking around the festival isn’t such a bad idea after all. 

Down the main plaza between both universities was the heart of all the clubs and organizations that made up the student body and extracurriculars for both Balastik Tech as well as Arca Visual University. It was as lively as Nadia imagined it to be and she took in all the sights and booths as promised at her leisure. Seeing the wide array of art from the Arca Visual side accompanied by the engineer and developers from the Balastik Tech side truly had her feeling inspired and motivated to dive deep into what this place could offer her. Artists of all kinds were here showcasing their clubs’ work, from stage production to a mixed media group keen on trying to minimize the absurd amount of debris that threatened the ever growing population of Vinyl City and the surrounding areas. She mingled with some students here and there, learning what she could of the different clubs and recreational life on campus in general. By the time she finally reached the Breakout Artist Organization, Nadia had two bags filled with freebies of all kinds, coupons for local restaurants and transportation companies along with useful pamphlets for her campus and souvenirs for her graduating year. 

“Oh there you are! Look at you, Miss Socialite you are?” One of the women standing by a walla exhibit of pieces had called out. Nadia turned her head and was met with a smile and a group of AVU students who obviously recognized the freshman, eagerly awaiting her arrival. 

“Here you can store your things over there!”

“So how have you enjoyed things so far?”

“Was the drive alright? You didn’t have too much of an issue finding parking right?”

As her fellow peers continued their series of questions, the freshman chuckled and nodded while placing her bags down amongst the others that were safely hidden from view. “Everything went as planned! I even got lucky with parking, not too far out from the main building either!” 

The group of young artists chatted amongst each other, while the president and vice president of the organization were all put together, composed and poise from those who passed by, the Arca Visual logo embroidered on their uniform blazers calling attention to their prestigious reputation while the others at the booth continued their small conversations and greeted those who walked by or chatted about the interesting things this year’s welcome back festivities brought. As students made their way through the crowd, some would pause here and there, stealing glances at the wall of art on display directly next to the booth until they ended the mini tour directly in front of the organization where the two upperclassmen would give their speal and inform others of the wonderful scholarship and intern opportunities that came to those who participated in the process. Nadia, like the others present, was one of six that received full ride scholarships through their Bachelors degree plan based on artistic visions combined with their academic scores. Some passersby were interested more in the works than the opportunity and took their time reading about each piece. Nadia’s was a large, landscape painting at the end of the group as hers was the one most talked about it. Her specialty so far being in abstract art, it became that of a game to hear what others interpreted from the piece,to see if they could understand her vision and her message. By this point, she was used to people missing the mark and stopped getting so hopeful- there was no doubt her work was superb, Nadia just wished someone out there amongst the student body would get the heart of her piece. She didn’t let it weigh down on her too much and instead took to scrolling through her phone and taking some pictures with her new friends among the group. She was delighted that they were so keen to call her by her chosen artist name, “Eve”, and they shared their names with her as well. Makes things much easier when looking for online portfolios and just social media accounts. All work they have at the school however goes under their official names, and while most everyone else’s can be easily traced back to them, Nadia’s catches people off guard. There’s a reason behind her chosen name of course, but she didn’t want to elaborate on it in the setting they were in. The students were exchanging schedules and social information when suddenly her friends turned their attention to a Balastik Tech student who was carrying a large bag filled with folded down boxes and crossing in front of their table, only to see him backtrack and halt directly in front of Nadia’s piece, watchful crimson eyes analyzing in silence for a few moments while the girls smiled warmly.

“Oh that’s _Eve’s_ piece~” The vice president chimed, nonchalantly referencing to Nadia who seemed oblivious. Which wasn’t the case, but Nadia did not like to stare intently at those who were there to observe the art, much rather let them analyze in peace and-

_Oh, his pin._

She didn’t move towards the front of the table, but sharp green eyes now focused entirely on a small, round pin with an intricate eye depicted on it next to a Balastik Tech brand pin, much like her own Arca Visual brand pin, that was fastened on the man’s hoodie- also Balastik Tech brand. The vice president and president were laying on the charm while also gloating about their own work, but much to their surprise, Zuke didn’t care much for what they had to say on their own pieces and instead returned his focus to Eve’s piece. Noticing this, one of the other members interrupted her superiors.

“You really seem to like her piece, mind sharing with us your analysis on it? It’s...kinda become a little game to see if anyone can grasp the message hidden in Eve’s piece. There’s a reason why it’s the last in our gallery here!” A younger student offered happily. “None of us have been able to grasp it in its entirety before reading her paper.”

“And even _then_.”

“So, would you like to try? Could be fun! You already seem to have gears turning in your head, engineer! Won’t you share with us? She’ll probably be ecstatic to hear your take.”

“A breath of fresh air from all the artsy types who have tried, that’s for sure!”

As the rest of the breakout artists eagerly awaited to hear what Zuke had to say, Nadia sat with one other member who was talking away at her, but Nadia was entirely focused on the pin and it led to all sorts of other ideas and analysis whilst he dealt with her hungry, art shark friends.

“It’s hiding myriads of emotions, you can barely see it but- it’s there. It’s swirling like… strong evening wind in the forest, trying to fly free…? trying to break out… Trying to show itself...” Zuke whispered, his eyes scanning the piece over and over and over. “E-Every inch of... detail...” His eyes remained on the canvas as he lowered the bags in his arm, setting it down near his foot. A moment of realization hit him before he reached into his pocket and took out a napkin hurriedly, covering his mouth as he took a closer look at the painting. “These brush strokes seem like it was made with such carefulness and with meaning…” He says as his finger tips brush lightly against the pink square frame drawn on the canvas. “Every inch of it… It packs so much emotion all at once yet… It’s trapped… or it’s hiding? There’s a thin line, a window maybe… it separates the abyss… the void…? From deep within. It’s an unknown a-and…” Zuke squinted his eyes, pulling his hand back to his side. “It looks scary… the unknown to those who wish to peer into it and… for whatever is hiding inside to people who want to peer in, like the abyss the ocean has where it’s waiting for marine explorers to dive deep and find its beauty and terror. For them to see it as it is instead of just pondering or assuming _what_ could be inside it…”

Zuke pulled his head back, took a deep breath, and stared at the piece with eyes wide in wonder. A hint of glitter in his gleaming eyes. By this point, the expressions of the artists changed slowly from one of slight smugness and playful challenge to one of sheer shock, all but the president reeling already by what the man before them spoke. The president of the organization however quickly recomposed herself, eager to hear what else he had to say. Keen eyes watching carefully as Zuke looked like he still had more to say. The woman who sat by Nadia nudged her arm gently, earning a glance from the blond. She leaned over and whispered.

“This one sure is a talker huh?”

Nadia only smiled and rolled her eyes before bringing her attention back to the pin on his jacket and then surveying the jacket itself. His mannerisms, his looks, all that she could to figure out the kind of person he was. It was far more interesting for her this way then waiting to hear and more often than not, be disappointed by what a person failed to notice about her work. Her colleague snickered before relaxing more in her seat, waiting to hear what else the engineering student had to say about the piece.

“It’s waiting for someone to tear the veils, to explore the unknown void… an understanding that requires dedication and takes a certain level,” he said while breathing out air that he had been holding back. His mind twisted and turned, swirling with thoughts that provoked the realm of analysis deep within his head. Last he had to think this much was from trying to understand the stories from his literature classes. Folktales and their different retellings also provoke that side of him. This? This stirred the same gears that he had been holding back for years, only letting it show to people who allowed him to spill it all. Just when he thought he didn't need it any longer. 

Crimson eyes finally peeled off the piece and to the plaque.

_‘Nadia, 18.’ Must be one of the breakthrough artists who managed to get a scholarship into Arca Vis. With an art piece like this, no wonder she was one of the winners_.

Zuke quickly turned to the artists who've been by his side this entire time, not registering their expression when he asked, “are there more from this artist?” And before they could even answer, his attention was back to the piece. At this, there was an audible ‘huff’ from the president, but the vice president was in awe as well as the others. Even the student sitting next to Nadia had her jaw drop. The only one who wasn’t affected was the artist of the piece in question, Nadia herself. Rather, Eve, to the group around her. She heard the chorus of oohs and ahhs which was enough to snap her out of her intense daze considering they normally don’t react like that after someone analyzes her piece. She saw his expression so soft, but the eyes that continued to scan her piece so sharply showed nothing but wonder as they looked over each of her brushstrokes. His eyes tracing every single detail. A small smile crept to her lips and Nadia stood up. The others who were in the midst of praising him for such great perception and efforts turned their heads and moved to the side when they realized their colleague had finally joined them at the table front. The president was still attempting to try and get Zuke’s attention before Nadia butted in, clear as day.

“I like your pin!” 

It was a statement so unexpected to the artists around her, but here she was, leaning over the table and pointing out directly the button with the eye decal on it. Nevermind the sheer genius this man just spewed from his mouth, or the poetic justice he gave her work, or for being the first person in gosh knows how long who nailed every single detail and reasoning perfectly. No, Nadia tuned all of that out, only catching vague bits of what he said and instead disrupted everything in favor of putting the conversation back on the individual who spoke such things, startling the man in the process. It worked however, as his attention was now entirely on her and then the group of artists, then back to the tall blond nearly poking him. Her excitement with the button read all over her face. 

Before, none of the artists could really put Zuke in a spotlight he wasn't really used to. Being dragged into something just for the sake of others, or to feed their ego in this case. It doesn't phase him at all. But this? It's different, it _felt_ strange but good… and before he knew it, his cheeks began collecting heat. "Th-Thank you…" He responded, quickly picking up the bag of boxes off the ground and hugging it tight, using it just to hide the redness on his cheek. "I uh- i-if you want it, there's a booth handing a bunch of them out- it's over at the intersection where the space shuttle booth and the um- student runway project club booth, i-i think…" 

Nadia giggled and pulled her arm back, now with both her elbows on the table, hands propping her head up. “Oh, sorry! Personal space, personal space…” She apologized and trailed off in a reminder, mostly to herself. Her eyes moved from the button to his face before she continued just as happily.

“Is that so? Quite shocked to see one of my favorite artists be represented here, though in hindsight… hehe well I guess this would be the place to showcase even some of the less popular artists!” She said casually. “I’ve got a keychain just like it with my car keys! So…. Balastik Tech huh? Must be one highly intellectual individual. And yet… here you stand before us, gracing us with your own artistic visions! What brings you over to the Arca Vis side?” Her voice was laced with curiosity and delight, eyes now moving to address the bag he was holding before Nadia stood up straight. At this distance, their height difference was glaringly obvious, but she didn’t comment on it even though she could feel the looks her colleagues were giving.

So he's not the only one here who likes this indie artist, then again, it should be expected right? There's loads of students from different places here in BT and AV alone, but what are the chances of him finding one? Zuke pondered that thought for just a moment, tucking the thought in the furthest back corner of his mind. He should be acting professionally, he's here to do something, not- ...well, mingling won't hurt right? Just a minute, beside it would be rude to butt out of conversation like this and when's the next chance he can talk about his interest with someone?

"I'm shocked too, I- uh- I admit, I was going on an errand, b-but when I saw this pin I…. Kindaaaa got sidetracked over there, I grabbed one pin for myself and well- next thing I know I got lost here in Arca Vis' section- I blame my impulse for that- it's not everyday you get to see their merch around, much less handed out for free. Their stuff is already hard to find on local stores and all- so- you know..." 

Zuke averted his eyes from ever getting in direct line of sight of the artist in front of him, he doesn't need more reason to be flustered right now. "Anyway," he cleared his throat, "I uhh- I'm from the Environmental Advancement Club at BT, I-I'm supposed to deliver this to the umm- I-i heard there was a club here in Arca Vis who's making art out of recycled materials.. I forgot to ask the specific b-but yeah… I'm not so highly intelligent or anything, just- I'm good with computers and simple robotics, so all that's expected of Balastik Tech students… unlike Arca Vis students l-like you or that artist over there." 

He gestured to the painting with a nod, a shy smile creeped into view. "That's… that oughta takes a lot… no amount of smartness can make that sort of art, it takes loads of creativity and thinking outside the box… giving meaning to the piece and bringing out emotion from whoever is trying to explore it… to find the meaning behind it. Make you question the purpose of each brushstroke and down to even color choices…" A moment of silence passed and it’s all it takes before he turns his head back to the person who’s been listening to all his rambling. “S-Sorry I got carried away, I shouldn’t be keeping you… here… I mean, I got my own things to do, you got your own so…”

Nadia could not hide the smile that crept on her face upon hearing his final words on her painting and she twirled a loose strand of her catching the brief glimpse of his sheer expression of admiration toward it before her seniors butted in.

“Oh from the EAC? I think I know which club you’re talking about, they’ve been working in tandem with the re-START club here at AVU. I’d offer to show you, but I’m stuck here manning our booth, can’t exactly have the President and Vice President of a scholarship program just walk away unannounced you know!” The senior lamented a bit while her Vice President nodded.

“It’s a shame really, coulda shown you all around our beautiful campus~ After classes start I doubt we’ll be seeing such an open mind like yourself on our side.”

Zuke looked between the two club managers, the smile filled with sparks and adoration turned to one that is purely of embarrassment as he wouldn't want to admit that they do need their help. Arca Vis' booths are all… unique, sometimes he can't tell what one booth is trying to showcase with the way their booths are designed. A guide would've been helpful, sure but… 

He looked around once more, eyes scanning the people in the booth as he nervously gripped the plastic bag tighter.

The other students chimed in as well, almost talking over each other. It was quite funny to see how eager these artists could be. Nadia, however, grew tired of them tripping over each other and after noticing the change in Zuke’s body language, walked around to the front of the table, standing next to the BT student. 

“Well, since all of you seem preoccupied, I don’t mind showing him around. Besides, it’s my first semester as a freshman too, all of you have already seen all there is to see here.”

Before the others could interrupt or voice their objections, Nadia began to walk off.

“Come on, keep up! I’ll show you to the place! What was your name again?”

Zuke was bracing himself to speak up, take his leave and go on his way without ever crossing the booth again. Sure the paintings he sees are nice, but the students attending here- for the most part don't exactly leave him with a good impression. One exception he could think of is, of course, the woman who liked his pin. It was a surprise to know that she was also a freshman as he is, even more that she was willing to give him the tour and help him find the right booth to go to. Without hesitation, Zuke left the booth right after giving a quick bow to the people staring at him and then hurriedly followed after her. A sigh of relief silently escaped him. 

"I-It's Zuke," he finally responded. "I uh- Th-Thank you… for helping me. You must be busy with the festival and what not, but you're- you're here… I appreciate that, a-a lot." 

Nadia paused her stride long enough for Zuke to catch up and then continued, slowing her pace to accommodate him better.

“Zuke huh? Nice to meet you!” She said cheerfully once they were walking side by side. “Oh, you don’t gotta thank me about this, I really only had to check in there and I already picked up my dorm keys sooo…I’m free for the day until I move my things in!” She shrugged her shoulders and giggled, hiding her mouth with one hand to obscure the slight gap between her front teeth.

“Besides, I was getting a little tired of how...well, how stuffy the others can be. I’m sure you noticed it too.” Nadia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Looked like you needed an easy out from there too, I’m sorry if they made you uncomfortable. What with their endless questions and not so subtle obnoxious flirting. Tch, they are why art students get a bad rep, y’know?”

“N-Nice to meet you too,” Zuke replied as he bowed just a little. The colors in his cheek doesn’t seem to cease anytime soon, his eyes fixated mostly on the taller beside him. It’s hard enough to try and see where he’s going with the boxes in his arm, now he can’t even concentrate on the roads. The glee in her voice, the energy behind her tone. It’s everything he used to expect when he finally got to college, back when pursuing his dream was all he needed to be concerned about. A small smile crept back to his face, the good energy she’s exerting is infectious.

“It… It is. Yeah…” He let out a sigh, “It’s… a bit o-overwhelming for me, or at least I thought it was just me but- I’m glad I’m not the only one...”

Crimson eyes took a moment to scan their surroundings as they continued on their stride, catching several people- no, groups of people wearing matching accessories. He swear he’d seen it passed out before in one of the booths here, he just can’t put together what it is. “I-It’s okay. I’m… well, I’ve dealt with worse th-that’s for sure and I… don’t know what to say about that. I’m- I’m not an art student but, I’ve seen some tech students like that- Only they’re uh… instead of that they get obnoxious about how smart they are and trying to prove that they got the most innovative ideas. So- guess each of us got those kinds of students from different uni to deal with.”

“Mh, I bet. Brainiacs can also be a bit over the top, huh?” The tall freshman wasn’t missing a beat as they walked along, passing by all kinds of art displays and booths. She whipped out her phone while talking and opened up her gallery. 

The sight of the phone brought the tech student’s attention to the taller once more, his eyes taking in the sight of the woman’s phone case. Zuke doesn’t consider himself to be someone who would sneak a look at other people’s phone screens, he respects people’s privacy as much as he hoped people would toward him. Though he’d be lying if he says he’s not a shred bit curious about what could be taking her attention away. So, he returned his gaze on the road once more, making sure not to bump into anyone.

Unbeknownst to the BT student, she really had absorbed what he had said back at the table, down to him asking a certain question that went unanswered by her superiors. Shame on them really, must she really do all the thinking around here?

“You mentioned if that artist had more pieces you could see right?” The question came while she scrolled through her phone.

The question had him perked up, his eyes widened with a spark of interest before he turned toward the woman with a smile. “Yeah! I mean- yes! I’d love to see more of their paintings. I-I know the booth only displays artwork from the breakthrough program, a-and well, all I got from it is just the name of the artwork, age of the artist and...” _Oh, that reminds him…_ “A-Ah sorry, I should’ve asked this earlier but- wh-what’s your name Miss? I-If it’s okay to ask…” And here he thought he was being polite all this time. His eyes shy away from her, pretending to stare at the road or their surroundings. Without warning she turned to him and shared her phone screen with him. “Sorry! I was trying to decide just what to show you honestly... But uh, here’s my Art Station! Feel free to scroll through...oh, right sorry, your hands are full, lemme just, I’ll scroll through for you!”

She chuckled and proceeded to show her screen in full to Zuke, walking slower as they both focused on her art.

“I’m Nadia, by the way.” 

_Oh, these artworks…_

Zuke squinted and drew his face closer to the screen, trying to take in the sight of each piece displayed. At first glance, it all looks gorgeous. But he knows deep down that a simple glance won’t be enough to judge these pieces, it just won’t do it justice. Of course, he can’t just put away his bags and stop them on their tracks just so he can stare at each art for a good amount of time. His eyes moved to the handle name sitting right above the library of art, _eve._ That must be her name. Though the longer his attention remained on the phone screen, the noises around him began to cease with his brain slowly tuning out any other distraction…

 _‘Nadia… Eve…’_ the thought snapped him back to reality, prompting Zuke to blink a couple times before turning his attention back to the woman in front of him. Wasn’t she saying something to him? He could’ve sworn he heard her voice before… “I-I’m terribly sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to what you’re saying- these are… these are really wonderful… no, it’s not just wonderful, these pieces really speak something- I… erm… how do I explain it…”

The smile on Nadia’s face grew and she pulled her phone back after letting him view some of her pieces, realizing he was getting far too distracted. 

“Haha, it's ok, it's ok! I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like this!” She quickly changed the subject before Zuke could get stuck in his cycle again. “We can always look at em later when you’re not busy. I mean, you know my online handle now so it won’t be hard to find me, haha!” Nadia went quiet for a moment, as if wondering if she should add a follow up statement to that but before she could get the words out they had reached their destination and were greeted by much more down to earth artists at a booth displaying art clearly made from recyclable materials. A lamp shaped like a jellyfish hung from a structure, the body upon closer inspection made from plastic bottles that were painted and strategically placed, cut and shaped to make a cohesive piece pleasing to the eye. Hues of blues, greens and hints of pinks were painted to give it that true under-the-sea feel. Aside from the lamp were several other pieces on display featuring recycled aluminum cans, cardboard and other various supplies people had a tendency to just throw away. Nadia was beaming at what she was seeing and only brought her attention back to the rep when addressed them.

“Oh, hello there! Welcome to the re-START club! If you want to learn what you can do to help the environment while _also_ letting your creativity run wild you've come to the right place!” The rep was cheerful and though they weren’t wearing business professional attire, for some reason they gave this air of expertise. The other club rep was standing on a step ladder behind them, hanging another lamp but still waved to the two freshmen at their booth.

“Hello! We’re two freshmen just enjoying a look around! However, Zuke here has some items for you I believe!” Nadia replied as she stretched her arms out and gestured toward Zuke, whose eyes widened at the surprise presentation, her hands shook jazzily with a big smile and sparkling eyes switching between the Balastik Tech student beside her and the re-START members who turned their attention to her and her colleague.

It took a hot minute for Zuke to recover from the slightly grandeur introduction, his head turning back and forth between the waiting group of strangers in front of him and the cheerful and energetic artist. “Oh! Um- Yeah! I’m from the… Balastik Tech Environmental Advancement Club, we got some recyclable items we’d like to donate!” _Nailed it!_ He thought to himself, though he did take mental note as to prepare a better speech or line at a situation like… this. Next time.

“From BTEAC you say?” The rep scanned the freshman from top to bottom, before finally catching a glimpse of the mentioned club’s pin. “Ah, you must be one of the newest members. Glad you could join the effort to help our city’s environment over at the Tech side!” They then offered their hand out, which Zuke took and shook after shifting the weight of the boxes to his other arm. It didn’t linger long as the rep quickly noticed the bag once more. “Sorry for all the troubles- Here, let me take these off you now.”

Zuke passed the bag over to the re-START member, then pat his hoodie and readjust it. Despite the journey he went through just to simply deliver empty boxes across the campus ground, it wasn’t all that bad. He gets to see some sights, stumble upon interesting works of art, and well… He gave his colleague a quick glance. Perhaps, even a friend. The thought made him rub the back of his neck, crimson eyes staring out at the lamps being put up. They met under circumstances and today would probably be the only day they’ll ever see each other, _that’s always the case anyway._

“Thanks again for your help! Feel free to look around the booth, grab a seat, or a bottle of water for yourself for the trouble!” said the rep before they left with the bag, setting it somewhere for them to process. However, they stopped halfway through their path and turned their head toward the taller freshman. “By the by, if you’re interested to join in our effort here to help Vinyl City with your talent, you can join in later after the festival! Our club usually sticks around later to gather up anything that can be recycled, we’re planning to make a commemorative art for this year’s festival and you too can join in our project!”

Nadia perked up again when she heard the invitation, slightly embarrassed at being the one put on the spot now and she managed to fumble a response.

“O-oh...Yes, ok! I’ll have to think about it with the rest of my studies! Thank you for the waters too!” She said a bit timidly, much different from the confidence she’s been using when addressing Zuke. After she was done speaking she moved off to the side and pulled out a hand mirror to check her makeup, a small nod of relief once assured everything was still good.

With the boxes no longer in the way, Zuke easily noticed the change of tone in the artist’s voice. His attention quickly returned to her just as she pulled out her hand mirror. Crimson eyes squinted at the reflection, then back at her face. Is it a nervous tick? No, she was genuinely checking on her face. But for what? She wasn’t wearing any make up as far as Zuke can tell… is she? He scanned her from top to bottom, particularly at her hands and face. White as a canvas with no blemish whatsoever, so it really must be a nervous tick... 

“Well, I hope you’ve been having a good time, I know we’re from opposing schools and all, but...thanks for helping me escape those stuffy artists. They mean well I suppose, just want a different perspective. Not ready to take on that whole close minded view so soon y’know?” 

The words snapped Zuke out of his thoughts, the tech student looked up with a small smile and shrugged shyly. “I-It’s been… fun. Talking to you and all… I didn’t expect the company, but… I’m thankful! Actually no- Very grateful would probably describe it better- Th-thing is, if it wasn’t for you I would’ve been lost a-and stuck somewhere else- b-but… yeah…” He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as he kept his eyes to the ground for a moment. “I hope you’ve been having a good time as well.. And yeah, I understand. K-Kinda.”

As the two continued their idle chit chat in the plaza, others passed by the booth near them and went on their way. As the minutes ticked by, the two found themselves gradually moving towards an empty bench and sitting, having a conversation about Nadia’s art and the booths they passed by and such until they felt they both should be heading back to their respective places to start taking care of their other items on their checklists. They were about to go their separate ways when out of nowhere a large crowd rushed by them, catching both students highly off guard. A few of the rabid crowd members had bumped into them, knocking Zuke and Nadia off balance enough for their keys to fall from their pockets. 

“H-hey! Watch where you’re going!” Nadia called out to the sea of students around her after she got her footing, but none paid her any mind. What she could make out of the various fan girl screams going on around them was “Ex-Jay!” and ”Oh my gosh it’s finally starting!”

_Finally starting?...Ex-Jay- ohhhhh_

It clicked instantly for her. Moreover, she also heard something metallic hit the pavement. Nadia exchanged a quick glance with Zuke before they simultaneously patted their pockets and realized-

“My keys!”

Neither student hesitated and both dropped to their hands and knees, frantically looking through the stampede of people around them to spot their dorm keys. Something pink flashed a short distance from where Nadia was crouched and she crawled over, taking care not to get her hands stepped on. Thankfully her long limbs helped her and she was able to snatch her keys back without getting trampled. Coming back from the opposite direction was Zuke who had managed to retrieve his keys as well, albeit narrowly getting stepped on. As Nadia moved to stand up, Zuke shot up at the same time and-  
  


**_Bonk_ **

  
  


“Owwww, my head!” Nadia recoiled and dropped her keys as she moved to rub her head, while Zuke hissed in pain, also rubbing his head.

“Ugh..sorry, so sorry!”

The two tried once again to rise, blindly grabbing their keys before doing so, this time Nadia took extra precaution to account for her clumsy acquaintance. Meanwhile, it took Zuke a moment to recover from the dizziness caused by both the crowd, panic, and the hit to the head.

_Safe and sound above the crowd._

For once, she was grateful to be so tall in comparison to those around her. By now, the crowd was still fairly large, but it seemed the fan girl rush was over and she could see the relief washing over Zuke’s face. She gave him a weak smile and shrugged her shoulders.

“Fangirls am I right?”

_“Tell me about it,”_ he sighed tiredly, making quick work of fixing his hair. “I-I mean- It- it happens you know? Rock bands like Ex-Jay tends t-to draw in big crowds like that…”

Nadia laughed as she dusted off her pants. “You’ve got that right. But uh…” Nadia trailed off and looked down shyly, twirling part of her hair, her right arm behind her back.

“If you um..If you are free for the day, maybe we should go check it out. It _is_ a welcome concert right?” It was the first time she didn’t hold his gaze when talking to him, choosing instead to stare off towards the outdoor stage in the distance where the crowd was still forming.

It was just a simple question, she was just asking them to go to the concert, that’s it. So why did he avert his eyes away and rub the back of his neck like he was asked something else? “Well…” A moment of confidence struck him as he took in a deep breath, turning his gaze back to the woman before him. No, her name is _Eve._ She’s not just here to drag him along unwillingly, he’s here _with_ her. A big smile formed on his lip as he nodded, perhaps a little too excitedly. “Yeah… Yeah, sure! A-And maybe I uh- w-we can get you the same pin that I have here later- on our way back to our booths and all… I-If you want that is.”

Nadia looked at him in surprise first, then blinked and smiled, eyes sparkling with delight. She was used to doing things on her own, but something about being able to enjoy something with another person made her incredibly joyful. Like college would truly be everything she imagined. Her path to success and finally some good friends along the way. Nadia did not need to be told twice from Zuke.

“Splendid! Come on we should go then!” She said unable to contain her excitement as she grabbed his wrist and practically dragged him off towards the field where the stage was, guiding him through the web of a crowd.

Zuke clearly wasn’t expecting the sudden gesture or even to start running, tripping just a bit at his first few steps. But as he finally gathered his bearings, he slowly caught up to Eve’s side. To think he would finally come to enjoy the festival, especially with someone…

She paid him no mind, dead set on finding them a good spot for the show. Ex-Jay’s singer was already addressing the sea of students who yelled and cheered in response while the duo made their way into the perfect position. Nadia was able to get them a good view of the stage, but far enough from the fangirl pit so they could still enjoy the show. Guitars blaring through the speakers and drums laying down the beat signaled the beginning of the end of day one’s festivities, the concert meant to be the big shebang for those moving into dorms tonight. With the booming bass and driving metal of the band, the crowd and singer alike were invigorated as he began to sing. It didn’t take long for many to scream and shout, unable to hide the musical soul within. Even Nadia couldn’t help but bob her head along to the music while Zuke was clearly trying to take in the atmosphere fully. As the music roared on, she got more into her own world with the music much like the rest of the crowd. Zuke couldn’t help but smile at how easily she seemed to meld with everyone around her, a small part within wishing he could join in as quickly as she did. Her energy was infectious however and, with some prompting, Nadia had him vibing along with her and the others, all worries put on hold while he let himself _enjoy_ this moment. For once, he didn’t stand there analyzing or wanting quietly, worrying what others would think. For once, Zuke let himself just _exist_ , free from self doubt, free from judgement. While Ex-Jay wasn’t his number one, the concert was very appreciated, their energy driving the crowd into a thriving entity. As the evening dragged on, both campuses lit up, revealing an entirely new view to each school. The sight combined with the amped up energy of Ex-Jay really drove home this sense of welcome to a higher order. The feeling of inspiration and high energy motivation. Of becoming something bigger than yourself. And knowing the end goal for so many in this crowd was to become somebody in Vinyl City, it's all they needed to reinforce that dream.

When the concert was said and done with, many in the crowd rushed back to their dorms or to the parking lots to head home. Those who remained took their time strolling through the lit up plaza, the lingering vibes from the show still looming overhead. Nadia and Zuke were no different and shared laughs at impressions done to mimic the brooding personalities of the Ex-Jay members as well as just enjoy the night scenery. The neon glow that was intentionally meant to remind them of the music capital off on the horizon. Everything was by design, everything held purpose, that fact was clear the moment any of the students set foot here. Filled to the brim with electric nerves and immense joy at reaching this final roadblock to their futures, the students walking along all felt this unified connection. It was odd and unspoken, but welcomed all the same. Even Zuke, who felt like he had no place to belong prior to this point, was letting down such guarded walls to immerse himself in this environment. He knew they probably would not be meeting again, knew the types of people he would be meeting in Balastik Tech would be drastically different than Nadia and the rest of the Arca Vis students he saw today. He pushed the thought away. Didn’t want to be brought back to his reality so soon, especially considering how friendly Nadia has been to him for most of the afternoon. When they reached the central point of the plaza however, Nadia felt it was time for her to take off.

“I still have to bring up some stuff from my car to my dorm as well as pick up my stuff from the Breakout Artists booth.” She began, remembering she had brought her suitcase down earlier and acquired some bags throughout the day.

"I also have things to take care of, mostly just helping the club clean up their booth and w-well, get my stuff from my… bike." Not like he had anything to take other than a duffle bag and a suitcase, even then, the suitcase has to be sent from home considering the circumstances. He tucks his hands into his hoodie's pocket, eyes casted down to the ground. 

“Right! Right so...Um...well, you have my socials now too! So I shouldn’t be too hard to find, certainly not for a B-Tech student!” She said with a nervous laugh. Nadia didn’t want to think about how most BT students typically would not be available to mingle once their semesters started. Arca Vis students would be busy as well. There were always future campus events though, right? She shook off the thought and nodded to herself.

The words made him scoff and smile, it's nice to think they can meet again. Part of Zuke knew where things like this tend to end, promises to stay in touch but the follow up never happens. And yet… another part of him hoped that they could find each other again, just as they find each other today. "O-Of course! The handle- Eve was it? Yeah- I'll see about giving you a follow a-and well," he took in a deep breath and stared up at her, "h-here's hoping we'll meet again."

“Yeah...Yeah I’m sure we’ll meet again. And when we do, I hope to learn more about you too, Zuke!”

And that was it, their path parted off with her walking away toward another direction, disappearing into the crowds. Though he wasn't just met with her back, she gave him a smile and a wave, which he quickly returned with the same gesture gratefully. It was then Zuke became conscious of where he is, the eyes that could be watching him and of course, the walls he needed to rebuild up to deal with the rest of the day. Zuke glanced around his surroundings before pulling up his hood, quickly covering his head as his own self-consciousness overtook him. He's been drawing too much attention today and only realizing it now, more reason to head back to his dorm as soon as he can. 

Thankfully, the walk to the dorm wasn't as difficult as he would have imagined and after grabbing his duffle bag, he managed to catch a lift to send him to the floor where his dorm room is. Considering the amount of students from both Arca-Vis and B-Tech, the two universities have made a dorm complex tall enough to accommodate the numbers. So it wasn't a surprise for Zuke to wait more than five minute just to get to his floor with all the stops he had to make with students getting in and out. 

What surprised him was when he walked up to his door, entered his key, and made an attempt to turn it. Not a click to be heard. Zuke furrowed his brow, making another attempt which resulted in the same failure. The moment he released the key, the sight of the pink name tag finally hit him. 

_Eve_

"Goddammit," he sighed heavily and bumped his head against the door, causing him to hiss and recoiled back in regret when he accidentally hit his head a little too hard. ' _I deserve that,'_ was all he thought as he pressed his back against the door and slid down to sit on the floor. Pondering what could possibly come next. 


	2. Building Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are setting in motion for our two main characters as we get a small glimpse into their lives at college. A mixup with their keys leads both on a wild chase to reunite to set things right! A simple parting with words that linger more than they should will sit in the back of Zuke's mind while he struggles to keep up with his workload, and the pressure to keep her outward presence will begin to take its toll on Nadia. Just when things seem to be weighing too heavily on our two freshmen, a surprise party will come and offer a suggestion. What this all entails is saved for later~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'RE BACK!! Thank you for all the outpour of love, support, kind words, encouragement and feedback you all have given both Rune and I on here and on Twitter! It has been far too long and we apologize for that and hope to be more timely with the next chapter! Rune and I are always discussing ways we can better collab without burning each other out, while also refusing to budge on the length and quality of both our art and written work for you! We do hope you enjoy this chapter as there were many elements that got introduced and touched on that we were excited to share!  
> As always, thank you for your support and love and we hope you continue to enjoy this prequel story!  
> -Merluvli and Rune
> 
> Rune's PS.: Hope you guys don't mind the Zuke characteristic so far! I do my best to keep him as close as his character is based on the DK West rap and such ;w; Feel free to give any feedback, ideas, or hc you have down below! ^^ Thanks again for reading!  
> Merluvli's P.S.: Thank you all for encouraging me to be more open on twitter and in the discord servers about all my thoughts and perceptions of Nadia/Eve, your words encourage me to continue with my artwork and the way I write her!

The following morning Nadia arose far earlier than her heavy sleeper of a roommate to begin her morning routine. She made sure to be as quiet as possible as she walked across their room, though she was sure her friend could sleep through the loudest storm if there was one, let alone Nadia’s light footsteps. It was still dark outside their dorm window, but the tall blonde just used the light from her phone to rummage quietly through her suitcase until she retrieved her makeup bag and fresh clothes to change into. Items in tow, she locked herself in their bathroom and laid out her things on the counter in front of the illuminated vanity mirror. Foundation in a slight off white that matched her skin tone, a set of various sized brushes, a small jar of body paint, a bottle of setting spray, and various other makeup products were spread out. Nadia looked at her array of products and nodded to herself before letting out a yawn.

“Alright then, let’s get this over with once more. Another day, another chore.” She said softly, almost as if she braced herself to stare at her reflection in the circular mirror. Nadia slowly met her reflection and flinched ever so slightly. She always hated this part, no matter how long it has been. There reflected in the mirror was Nadia of course, but not the flawless creamy white skin she portrayed just hours prior in public. No, instead she was met with the truth tucked away in the form of her actual skin tone, or tones rather. A pink of utmost vibrancy joined the ivory in perfect symmetry from her face down, splitting her in half essentially. But it didn’t stop at just her neck. The perfect line of symmetry ran all the way down her torso as well. Even her legs were two different tones. Perfectly symmetrical and yet completely different at the same time. Nadia could feel herself grimace the more she thought about it as she stripped down to her undergarments, moving to prep her ultimate canvas. She looked at herself in the mirror again and ever so lightly brought her right hand to glide over the loud pink skin that coated the left side of her body, tracing along her collarbone and up her neck. Her lifelong plague. It clashed so much with everything. A constant reminder. It was always there, no matter how hard she tried to mask it. To push it away. To escape it. For Nadia, that pink followed her everywhere. What once was just another beautiful color in this world to her, instead dredged up the seemingly endless pool of abuse and bullying she faced from her younger years and on. Nadia’s right hand trembled and she squeezed her eyes shut before she slammed her hand on the counter. 

_Get a grip, Nadia. You have gone over this thousands of times. Just part of the routine, like practiced._

She took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then slowly exhaled. She _had_ done this countless times, ever since she was able to get her hands on makeup and experiment with foundation. Just mask it away, as usual. Pretend it did not exist and others would cease to look upon her with the horror filled gaze she so fervently had burned into her head by this point in life. No one on campus knew her secret, and if Nadia could keep it that way, she was going to do everything in her power to ensure that. If the past taught her anything, the world was cruel and you either adapt to survive or get left behind. Steeling herself once more, this time with more determination, the student picked her head up, and began the meticulous job of covering up all exposed parts of skin on the left side of her body. Nadia hummed a tune to herself softly and once further into the process, was able to tune out all the negative thoughts and the sad feeling of needing to literally hide half of herself daily in fear of harassment. She didn’t want to entertain such feelings any longer, so instead she brought herself to think of how her day went yesterday, all the wonderful things she got to see and experience. The people she got to talk to. She even lucked out with her roommate being one of the other Break Out Artists and someone she went to high school with.

“Riez was it? She was the only other one at that booth not swarming that shy guy. What was his name again…? Oh, right. Zuke. The Balastik Tech student. They were..nice. And had quite the eye when it came to art. I mean I shouldn’t be surprised, this _is_ the hotspot for all creatives afterall.” She thought out loud while she coated her neck. Half an hour later and she was wondering what her professors would be like whilst she covered her torso. 

_Can never be too careful with how garments move of course. Cover all bases, quite literally._

By the time Nadia finished applying her makeup and dressing into her clothes for the day, sunlight was filtering in through the dorm windows, very dimly, but enough for her to make out shapes better in the dark. Her roommate was still out like a light and for that Nadia was grateful. The freshman put away her makeup bag once more, pocketing her compact mirror into her back pocket, phone in the other. She didn’t have too much planned for today other than exploring the grounds a bit more and then coming back to set up her half of the room. Maybe she would try and catch lunch or dinner with her roommate later.

_It's all about making new connections and elevating myself, right? Nothing wrong with venturing out of my comfort zone for once. You got this. New beginnings and all that, Nadia._

Done with her internal pep talk and glancing over the room once more, mentally checking off what she wanted to do and making sure she had everything she needed, she headed out the door. 

* * *

  
  


Downstairs in the lobby of just one of the Arca Vis dormitories, staff had laid out a breakfast buffet. Students were in an array of outfits, from pajamas to day clothes to business attire. From what she could gather, most of the freshmen were the ones dressed for the day judging on how certain groups seemed nervous to find a spot to sit while the upperclassmen that were mingling about were dressed more casually or represented clubs and organizations they were a part of. It all seemed so lively and it was a delight seeing the mass array of creative expression and cultural backgrounds from just attire alone. Nadia took note of it all while she went around and served herself breakfast. Lucky for her, there was a small empty table by the windows to the building that gave a good view of the campus grounds. This dormitory in particular was the central one for AVU and doubled as the main hub for student life on the first 2 floors. In the distance she could see more art installations that decorated the grounds as well as the other 3 dormitories that housed students. It was hard to see from her spot, but she could catch a small glimpse at arguably one of the main focal points for the campus- a large fountain that not only served as a meetup point for students but as a landmark so as not to lose their way when searching for specific buildings on the grounds. It was just as colorful and whimsical as the rest of the art school, it’s placement serving well as a meetup point for fellow students and a guide whilst others tried to find their way among the various buildings. As she ate her breakfast and watched people milling around outside, the clouds overhead began to let down a light sprinkle, which quickly turned into a shower. She watched as students scattered to find cover since it didn’t take long for the rain to really begin coming down in full force. 

_Ah, I’ll need to grab my umbrella when i’m done here._

The rest of her meal was uneventful, just seeing more students milling around inside, friends meeting up with each other and the like. It was easy enough for her to slip away without gathering too much attention amongst the multitude of conversations going on. It seemed everyone else was tending to their own matters, unlike yesterday which held a much more unified setting. No matter, today more people would be moving into dorms and setting up so there really wasn’t much she’d be longing for, if anything at all. There was plenty to do. In the lobby of what she took to calling the student hub was a group of people setting up a mini art gallery featuring pieces that were on display from the Breakout Artist Organization’s current year winners. They were still setting up so not many students were bothering the workers. Nadia smiled, filled with a sense of honor that her work would already be a part of the legacy at Arca Visual University. Once done being displayed, the pieces would go on to be featured in Vinyl City at Arca Visual Studios in the Dream Fever District. It was quite the honor and one that filled her immense joy. All worries pushed aside for the time being and once again renewed with that excitement of a new chapter in her life beginning, Nadia walked upstairs to retrieve her umbrella from her dorm. She was humming to herself and put the key in the slot.

However, _it wouldn’t turn._

She stopped humming. Maybe she just had to fiddle with it a bit.

No luck.

She jiggled the key a couple more times.

  
  


Nothing.

_Hmm...that's odd._

Perplexed, Nadia finally took a good look at the key in her hand and immediately widened her eyes, realization dawning on her.

“Wh-what? These aren’t my keys! Ahhh we must have gotten them mixed up yesterday!” she exclaimed before groaning and placing a palm to her forehead.

“Ughhhh Nadia come on. ...Maybe Riesz is awake now.”

Before she beat herself up further about the mixup and the following blind hunt she was going to have to do, she knocked on the door and prayed her roommate was up or would hear her. It took a few moments but soon she heard the rustling of someone on the other side of the door and the unlatching of a lock. 

_Thank my lucky stars for once._

On the other side of the door was her roommate and fellow breakout artist, Riesz, albeit half asleep but she gave Nadia a warm smile as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She was still dressed in her pajama shorts and tank top, curly hair tied back loosely in puffy buns.

“Ahhh, you’re up early. What happened? Did you forget your keys?” The other artist asked in a sleep laced voice as she let Nadia inside.

“Oh thank god, Riesz. I’m sorry if I disturbed you. On the contrary actually, it appears I’ve already had a mishap with my keys.”

Riesz shut the door and tilted her head to the side, taking a bit to understand what her roommate was talking about.

“Eve, you’re not making much sense. Whaddya mean?” she asked, watching the blonde move to her closet to grab an umbrella. “Oh, it’s raining out? Good to know.”

Nadia was moving quickly and efficiently, her mind already going over when they could have switched keys and just how she was going to track down this man. “Ahhh, I cannot believe I let this happen, day one and already I have messed up. I-”

As Nadia trailed on Riesz couldn’t help but chuckle, listening to how harsh her roommate was being on herself. This caused Nadia to halt in her tracks and stare at the shorter artist.

“Is something funny?” 

Riesz wasn’t bothered in the slightest by the sudden serious tone and yawned. “Oh Eve you haven’t changed one bit since our high school years. Honestly I’m glad we’re roommates, I have a feeling we’ll balance each other out when need be. Come on, if anyone can figure this out, it’s you, just be sure to slow down a bit.” 

The serious expression on Nadia’s face slowly dissipated into a friendly smile and she nodded.

“Ah..right. Sorry I just- A-anyway, I’m happy to have you as a roommate too. It’s nice to have someone I know I get along with on campus.”

Riesz nodded and shot her finger guns. “Right back at cha. So, I’m guessing you got ya keys mixed up with that Balastik Tech boy huh? You two took off once you practically saved him from the art sharks. Poor thing looked like he was a deer in headlights till you gave him an easy out.” She paused and hummed in thought. “And you wouldn’t have noticed last night because I unlocked the door as we both happened to return from the concert around the same time….Well... Any idea where he may be? Anything you all talked about yesterday that might give you clues? Family, last name, major?”

Nadia looked up in thought and went over the events from yesterday. Slower, going over all the details.  
“Hmm….Well, no Riesz. I really did not learn too much about him other than he’s a BT freshmen that has an eye for art clearly. Other than his first name being Zuke, I’m completely in the dark here.” She concluded, shaking her head. 

Riesz pouted and hummed to herself. “Well...I wouldn’t go trying to replace your key just yet… tell you what. I’ll stay here in case you need to come back, gives me time to properly settle in and what not, and you won’t have to go to the front desk and get an RA to let you in. And then whenever you find him, get your keys back, we can go grab food or something and I’ll go out and take care of what I needed today. Sounds good?”

Nadia tilted her head back and forth for a moment before nodding in agreement.

“Yeah...yeah that might actually work. I’m sorry I’m derailing your day a bit, I can’t believe I didn’t notice this last night. I hope it doesn’t take long to track him down, but-” She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

“Right now, Zuke is a number amongst thousands. Even if I had to replace my dorm key, I still have to find him because he also has my _car keys_.”

Riesz gasped and then started to shoo the taller woman towards their door, Nadia clutching her umbrella with a small ‘eep’.

“Why didn’t you open with that?! He’s got the keys to your _Porsche???_ You need to get a move on girl, go on now!” Riesz exclaimed in blasphemy. Despite Nadia’s attempts at rebuttals and excuses, Riesz succeeded in getting her out the door.

“Don’t worry about me or anything else, you’ve _got_ to get those keys back! Hurry, you’re burnin’ daylight!”

And with that, Nadia was once again by herself in the hallway, blinking as she tried to process just how quickly Riesz pushed her back out of the room. She let out a groan and slumped down, shoulders falling forward for a moment before she picked herself back up and walked down the hall.

“Well… let’s get a move on I suppose.”

* * *

Waking up early in the morning was never a problem for Zuke, he's used to it already ever since he started going to school. Beside, it's hard to stay deep in slumber with all the noises around the dorm. The room over next to his bed, for example, has been nothing but noisy since last night. Clicking of metals and electrical buzzes that just tried to prevent him from finally getting the rest he well deserved, but that's not just it, the buzzing can often be heard from the electrical pipes on the corner ceilings of the room, along with the ones from the AC and- _oh the snoring._ His roommate, Hadi, might've probably been the first and nice friend to him after helping him unlock the door to their dorm and let him in after hours of painful waiting. It's embarrassing to see students passing by and watching him either standing around or sitting with his back against his dorm door, especially when he hears the whisper that comes after the stares some students gave him when they notice the keychain sticking out from his pocket. Here's hoping no wild rumors have already been thrown around the campus yet, but Zuke wonders if it'll even make a difference to his life in college. He's just a face in the crowd after all, not known enough for it to affect him and he hopes it stays that way. The thought lingered in the tech student's head as he dangled the keychain above his face, all while laying down on his bed. His eyes studied the keys held by the ring that kept it together along with the eye keychain that he's holding onto. A quick turn to look at the keys made him squint as he tried to make out the symbol displayed on the key. He can easily rule out the mundane steel key as simply a dorm key, but the other one… could've sworn he had seen the symbol before… 

"That's a Porsche key," said Hadi, grabbing Zuke's attention immediately as the freshmen snapped his eyes toward his roommate. "Expensive car, ain't nothing like a mini car or one of those online taxi cars- you know the one? Yeah. I think it’s a sports car- not sure." The messy haired student walked over to his own bed, sitting just across Zuke and staring at the keys in his hand. "What I'm sure is that, you might get in trouble keeping that for much longer. Ya don't wanna get kicked out for being accused of theft like that." 

Zuke squinted his eyes at the accusing nature in his roommate’s tone. "I'm not trying to keep the keys, but… I just don't know how to return it. I mean… I can't just walk up to Arca Vis’ front desk about this… can I? ...Are we even allowed to go there at all?" 

"Eh, I think you can. You just gotta deal with those Arca Vis guys staring at you like you're a lost puppy. I mean, we're both still new here and I bet they can tell." Hadi let his body fall back to his own bed, stretching his arms out before yawning widely. The purple haired student stared up at the ceiling lazily as he waited for a response.

"What? Two guys from a small town, fresh off highschool, and reeking of a new highschool graduate? Is that what they're really gonna guess right off the bat here?" Zuke huffed and sat back up, pocketing the key in his pocket. 

"More like two small town boys~"

"Living in a musical world?"

"We each took a highway bus," 

"Going out of town…" 

Both Zuke and Hadi lock eyes, then burst into laughter- or in Zuke's case, chuckles. At least he's lucky enough to be a roommate with someone who shares similar interests with him, especially in several tastes of music. But as the laughter died down, Zuke finally decided to stand up and make his way to the door. "Okay, okay. I'm gonna go check the front desk, see if I can get a spare key to hold onto first-" 

"Dude," Hadi chimes in, "You gotta pay for a new spare key. You know that right?" 

That stopped Zuke just before he could turn the door knob in his hand. "What?" 

"Oh boy, you didn't know." The student rose up from the bed in a grunt and ruffled the back of his head, all while Zuke started with concern written all over his face. " _Yeah,_ they say ya gotta pay for a spare key. They'll make you one, sure, but a replacement gonna cost ya. Aaaand it'll take awhile for them to make you one, so… yeah. Until you can get that key from that… girl- what was her name again?" 

"Eve," Zuke thought for a moment, "Well, her name is Nadia… but she goes by Eve. But Hadi, you said it yourself, I can't just walk up to Arca Vis' front desk and not expect any eyes on me, I don’t even know if I’m allowed there at all, and if I did go on looking for her, what's my chances of finding her in the sea of freshman?" He sighed, stopping himself before he went on a tangent. He's already thought this over last night, how he's going to get these keys back and the probability of it all. No need to go on another journey through his mind, wracking up a way to handle this and finding out how something as simple as returning a lost key could go wrong.

Suddenly, however, Zuke's phone rings out a tune before neither him nor his roommate could say a word. "What now…" He mumbled to himself before taking out his phone and reading through his messages. There, amongst the sea of spam messages, lies a recent text from… West. Who else would it be anyway?

_'Ayyy, Zuke! West here, congrats on your first day of college bro!! How was it? Meet any new friends already or didja get lost on your first day like your first year of highschool?'_ The text reads.

Zuke couldn't help but roll his eyes and huff, a small smile escaped him as he typed up his response, _'Thanks, West. And no, I didn't. It's not a maze, just… big buildings and plethoras of hallways. Anyway, we're still meeting over at your dorm?'_

_'Oh yeah, but you probably don't know where it is. So how about we meet somewhere else? Your choice, bro. You're the freshman here and I never get lost!'_

"Yo, whossat you texting?" 

The question made Zuke perk up from his phone for a moment. Ah, right, he still has yet to tell Hadi about his sibling. "Well, I have a brother at Arca Vis. We were planning to meet up today, pick up my stuff at his dorm and then get everything settled, so… it's just a matter of where we need to meet up first." Zuke watches his roommate stare at him with their brows raised, not an uncommon reaction, but it sure made him raise a brow of his own. "What?" 

"Your brother is in Arca Vis, ya need to go to Arca Vis." His roommate holds up two index fingers on each hand, making a gesture of moving his fingers together and apart, connecting lines. "Ehhh? Ehhhhhh?" 

"I… don't think West would know where to look for her." And besides, there's no telling whether West would help him… not without something in return. That and there's the whole trouble of explaining to West what happened, and as far as experiences goes, Zuke knows how West would react to yet another clumsy accident that he's done. Worst case scenario? West told his circle of friends about his clumsiness and then word spread even faster, yet another repeat of highschool. 

"Really? Damn-" Hadi climbs up to his bed and leans back against the wall, picking up the two of his own drum sets from his nightstand, "Well… if anything, you can maybe ask him for a tour 'round the campus? He goes to Arca Vis and he's your brother, so, doubt anyone would be staring at ya that much if that's the case."

Zuke's eyes widened for a moment, then scanned the floor as he worked the thought in his head. He knows he can't go in alone and his roommate couldn't help his case even if he accompanied him, they're both students from different schools after all and that was the thing they're worried about. They're putting themselves in more spotlight than they would have wanted. _But with West…_ the fact that he probably had no choice but to go visit West's dorm to get all his things as well, it's as if everything is finally in motion. No one would bat an eye at him, knowing what he's there for. On the side note, it does mean he'll risk getting dragged along further than he hoped for. Especially if he ends up getting introduced to West's friends, the chances of them watching him like a hawk from now on after being introduced to them… one slip up and not only will West know of it, it'll definitely affect his popularity. Just like highschool. Zuke shook away the thought with a shake of his own head before staring back at his roommate once more, "We still gotta decide where we'll meet each other." 

Silence fills the room as the two tech students think of a place. The fountain in between AV and BT? No, that's a huge hotspot for new freshmen and the likes. Front desk of BT? That's just as bad as the vice versa with how long Zuke could end up having to wait for West, all while knowing very well that he's carrying another student's keys. Maybe somewhere inside, one that connects the two universities together, where they can get a good view of the campus grounds as well. 

Zuke watched with wide eyes as Hadi pointed to him with his drumsticks as they both struck an idea at the same time. _"The sky bridge!"_ They said altogether. 

"Alright, I'll go text West and let him know where we're meeting on the way- thanks again for the help, Hadi!" Zuke said hurriedly as he scrambled out the door quickly. 

"Anytime, buddy! Anytime!" Hadi responded out loud, right before the door closed in on him and he was left on his own. The drummer turned to the only window of the room and stared out at the sky. "Huh, a bit gloomy out today ain't it?" He whispered to himself, "Wait- did Zuke leave with an umbrella?"

* * *

Back on the Arca Vis side, Nadia was in the lobby of the central AVU hub trying to go over all options in her head. 

“Hmmm...a Balastik Tech freshmen....I could go to the lobby in the sister building to this one perhaps..? No..no somehow I don’t think it will be that easy. Hmm….” The blonde sat on a bench and pondered some more options. Outside, the crack of thunder broke the atmosphere and she could see more students scrambling back to their dorms across the college grounds. She grimaced slightly, seriously hoping she would not have to venture in the downpour of rain to continue her search. She narrowed that down to be a last resort option the harder the rain came down and rose to her feet. Her makeup coverage was good and for the most part, waterproof, but Nadia never wanted to risk it carelessly. If need be, she would venture outside, but for now she decided to try and find any clues within the building first. Unfortunately, she wasn’t having much luck at all finding the people she talked to yesterday and the other Break Out artists had their fair share of teasing once Nadia caught them in one of the student lounges. The others she talked to either did not remember the student at all or didn’t have any guesses as to where he might be. 

“Look I know it’s a long shot but uh, what if you tried seeking out that recycle club at BT? Not sure what their setup is like, but you might find better answers checking it out.” One finally suggested to her. Nadia blinked her eyes twice and then straightened up excitedly, as if a light bulb had gone off in that head of hers.

“Yes...Yes that's it! The BTEAC club of course! Perhaps I can find one of the reps from yesterday at their campus. Oh thank you for the suggestion!” Nadia said, her determination rekindled as the stranger smiled and nodded.

  
“No problem! Hope you find yer keys!" The student waved her off as she took off back up the stairs. 

_If I use the skybridge, I can also get a good look at the rest of the grounds to see if I spot anyone of interest._

The skybridge that linked the sister universities was a work of art in itself- from the stained glass array of abstract modernism that was the Arca Visual side to the industrial built structure with connecting pipes that act as reinforcements and simple tinted glass for protection which were on the Balastik Tech side, it was no wonder students and professors alike chose this to be a meeting place among the campuses. Like the large fountain that was at the heart of Arca Vis’ grounds, the skybridge served as a signature location to help newcomers get their bearings. As Nadia looked out over the beauty that was her college, many others around her did the same whilst chatting with colleagues, using their phones to pull up the school map or their agendas and even the ones who sat quietly on the benches that lined either side of the walkway, full attention focused on their phones or laptops. Nadia sighed in bliss, she still couldn’t believe she was actually here. The birthplace for so many elite artists and minds that she looked up to. She could hardly contain that excitement and just hoped she wasn’t pushing others away as she tried her best to be friendly and open to others- something that was completely opposite of what she was used to. But, she supposed, it was good to try and venture out of that comfort zone. After all, she had a strong feeling she was going to be forced out of her introvertive comforts and solitude at some point through her studies, she might as well work on it from the start. 

Once she entered Balastik Tech, the entire energy changed. Even from just walking in, Nadia could feel and see the strong engineering, structure oriented aura that pervaded their student hub building. Truly an intellectual’s place, the once colorful and vibrant scenery she had felt so at home in was now replaced with muted tones of cool colors, black and white. The innovative and engineering minds were at the heart of Balastik Tech, this much she could grasp and be reminded of as she walked down to the lobby. The students here were dressed in rather plain clothes- most having the typical BT logo hoodies in various colors, jeans. Lots of jeans. Nothing really captured her interest other than the architecture of the building itself, but for her, this was a good thing. It meant she would be less likely to get distracted while on her search. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like any of the BTEAC students were around. She even got the courage to ask a couple of the students in the lobby if they knew where she could find members, but alas, no such luck. Doing her best not to let the weird looks get to her- Nadia, being a bright ray of color and sunshine in the rather dull lobby- she decided to head back after another hour of searching and mingling. Back on the sky bridge, she could see the rain calm down into a steady, peaceful fall. The sound of the water hitting the windows she looked out of sounded nice and the foot traffic in the bridge had died down as well. Over on the Arca Vis half of the bridge, she found an empty bench and decided to sit down, thinking of what else she could try out. 

_Hmm..perhaps listening to the rain for a while will clear my mind._

* * *

Days like this were usually the ones that Zuke looked forward to, the serenity of nature’s music and the cold air perfect for blanket and hot cocoa while watching the raindrops on the window form a waterfall that sometimes formed an image or a painting that let his imagination run wild and free while he let his mind flow with thoughts and ideas, it’s all just comfortable. He remembers having to shelter down near a tiny side road shop’s bench, observing the streams of water going down each roof, the way the spray of waters form into a wave on water made by car wheels from that flooding highway. And the eventual sun after the rain, the colors it took on could be… mesmerizing at the first break of dawn. 

But when you’re walking through the school grounds out in the open with possibly hundreds of students and others flocking about, getting caught up in the rainfall can lead to a hectic and unexpected end. It only clicked to the tech student’s head when he felt the first few drops of water first hit his nose, then it all clicked the moment it stained his phone screen that displayed a message between him and his brother. Zuke wished he had seen this coming and put two and two together the moment he noticed the gloomy weather when he’s halfway to the fountain, the symbol of union between the two universities beside the sky bridge itself. But it’s only gonna be a light rain right? Right?? 

Zuke pockets his phone deep inside his pocket, looking around as he power walks his way to the Balastik Tech Side of the university. Crimson eyes scanned the entire crowd as he watched people begin to get the same idea as he does, some are more quick on their feet to their destination. But when the downpour hits, it’s all… well, everyone started to run. As the hard weather pouring down the school grounds, hard enough to the point that it’s blurring the vision to a certain distance, Zuke wasn’t able to escape it just as much as he can’t escape the rush of crowd pushing him to a certain direction. Yet another crowd to handle, thankfully he’s more prepared and quick on his feet, quickly pulling the over shirt up and over his head to keep his hair from completely getting soaked by the pouring rain. Where is he going? Somewhere. Is it somewhere he knows? Well, one thing he can assure himself with is that he’s heading to where he can take shelter from the rain and for now, it’s all that he cares about. 

How ironic that his luck runs _dry_ right at this weather, or at least he finds it that way. The painted and abstract floors, multicolored windows stains that're looking somewhat similar to a kind of paintbrush or shapes of art. It seems like it meant something on a grand scale rather than just merely to show the artistic side of Arca Vis in the most blatant way, but for Zuke, this is the worst possible time to have his eyes widened and staring with his jaw full slack and wide open at the artistic representation and imagery brewing from his surroundings. Sure, the festivities taking place yesterday gave him just enough an idea on what the artists are capable of. But this? It all pales in comparison to what was presented to him from the mere lobby of the building. 

And who can blame him? There’s walls of art posted up in the lounge, akin to a small mall convention or showcase of art. Pieces of art made years ago and still hung up on places where they belong, to commemorate the different perspectives and engaging ideas they have while studying here at the university. With wet shoes and a half soaked shirt, Zuke finds himself subconsciously walking through the halls of art, taking in the sight of each piece he comes across. From simple clay statues that are packed with a lot of markings that could mean thousands of things to a painting of someone standing at the hill with the vastness of the valley beyond which capture the very feeling of awe and scale, all of which are meant to convey something. To try and speak the visual language, one that is different from person to person. A language that the tech student seemed to feel drawn into as he explored more of the art work, forgetting the gaze that others may shoot to him from the distance or as they passed by him. He wasn't wearing his Balastik Tech hoodie today which made him somewhat blend easy to the crowd, and yet here he is, an engineering student left to indulge in the various works of visual creative students from another division. However, as he explored the gallery, some pieces of work began to look… familiar. He eyes the statues and paintings that were displayed in the middle of the lounge, they seemed to have been put up fairly recently… _wait- this was from the Breakthrough Artist stand from yesterday!_ Zuke's eyes lit up, an idea struck him. So that means, the girl's art piece should be somewhere around here. Maybe there's someone he could ask about her, a friend or even better- the artist herself! His eyes turned from that in awe to filled with determination, he could do this… he can get his keys back and the artist as well. He can make things right. 

Zuke picked up his pace and darted his eyes around, quickly skimming through the displays. Paying just a slight bit of attention to where he's going. Many students seem to be fixated on the same art that seem to have garnered the same attention from yesterday's crowd. They aren't particularly bad, Zuke thinks they were fine. There's details and techniques clearly displayed on all the pieces which made it special, giving it character and personality. It's pretty on point actually and seemed to be displayed as clearly intended. But just like yesterday, not one of them managed to grab his attention and draw him close. Well- there is a couple, but- nothing as strongly. Apparently, he didn't pay enough attention as he quickly bumped into someone's back with all the force from his speed walking, the man quickly fixed his posture and dug through his pocket. Just to make sure the keys are not missing from him, a sigh of relief escaped him as he pulled out the keys, just a brief moment for him to see before quickly stuffing it inside his pocket again. 

Ah, wait! The girl! Zuke quickly turns to the person in front of him, along with the two people right next to them. A small smile formed on his face as he bowed to them while holding the back of his head and said, "S-Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, I was-" 

"Oh, it's you!" 

Zuke blinked, "M-Me?" 

"Yeah!" The person said as she patted down her pants and straightened her shirt, "You're the engineer who was carrying those boxes right? From EAC?" 

Zuke squinted at her for a moment, it took him exactly three seconds and while also quietly mouthing off _who?_ Before his eyes widened and the realization hit. "Ah, right. You're the Breakthrough Artist Club president." 

"Nice of you to remember!" She said as her friends stood behind her, staring either at their phone or between her and said engineer. "Are you here to see the rest of the displays?"

"Um..." _No_ , would be his immediate answer. Sure, it was what he ended up doing inevitably. But knowing them, he had a feeling he'll be dragged into a journey if he can't talk his way out of this. Have to keep this simple and quick. "I… was looking for Eve- or well, Nadia- do you know where I could find her?" 

"Oh," the president's tone seems to fall from bright confidence to slight annoyance and disappointment. "I know she's not here, she went back to her dorm last I remembered. She doesn't seem interested to stick around and see how her art was doing. Well who can blame her really, her art is right at the very back there." She gestured over to where the painting was presumably, then crossed her arms and sighed, "she's lucky that her art is packed to the brim with different techniques and styles, it sure catches people's attention, but it's mostly short lived. If she hadn't been trying to just show off like that, I don't think she'll make it through the scholarship." 

One of the artists quickly chimed in with, "I mean, she did pick the easiest category; abstract art. It's basically just playing with color, shapes, and vague symbolism. It's like throwing paint in however you like and how you feel. Or just make what looks good from the pattern and all. Hope that someone is going to see something and come up with some meaning to it." Another one lowered their phone and joined in by chiming, “Let’s be real, she doesn’t care about what people think of her art anyway, she doesn’t even listen to any criticism or thoughts about her painting over there. I’m not surprised if she just simply wants to go through the scholarship route and get a popularity boost over her art.”

“That’s a little too harsh, don’t you think?” The president said, a hint of concern in her voice. But it didn’t last long as she quickly adds, “Who knows if she's like that or not? We'll just have to see.”

Crimson eyes stared down at the floor as Zuke contemplated what the artists said, it definitely didn’t sit right with him ever since the conversation took a rather unexpected turn. But _why?_ Something feels familiar from the way they talked, something he knew but couldn’t comfortably recall. At the same time, he couldn’t just stand there with his gaze on the floor without eventually being questioned, and thankfully he lifted up his head right on time before the president could ask him anything. It’s all in how he quickly catches her opening and closing her mouth, seemingly swallowing whatever she was about to say. “Well- Yeah, I guess-” uncertainty held in his voice, “If she’s not here, do you… know the way to the sky bridge?”

The president beamed, her face lit up with eyes wide as she spotted a chance. “Of course! I can walk you there after-”

“M-Maybe next time?” Zuke interrupted, “I’m- well, truth is- I’m kinda in a hurry you see… I just need to uhh- a quick moment with Eve.” He watched as the artist in front of him began to falter slightly, the two others behind her stared at each other with thoughts clearly swirling in their head from the cocked brows and little pout they put up.

A sigh escaped the president’s mouth. “Well, next time it is then. Too bad, we’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts on the pieces. It’s not everyday you find a Techie with a good grasp on art like you, and without your… hoodie… you almost had me fooled you were from Arca Vis.” She turned northwest over to an elevator and a small balcony, gesturing over to the flock of students and staff going up and down between the automated stairs. “Take the elevator and then enter the first hallway, then head left after the second intersection. That should take you over.” 

“Th-Thank you.” Zuke bowed his head quickly before turning his back and stepping away from the group. Careful not to let them hear him breathing out air that’s been held in his chest as he walks off hurriedly, he even kept his eyes on the direction as tempting as it is for him to look back at the group. The air around them felt too… tight? It’s hard for him to describe but it clearly didn’t put his mind at ease. Now that he’s all by himself, he can finally think of it clearly. _Was Eve really like that? She doesn’t seem like it._ The thought finally crossed his mind, taking into account what happened yesterday. The one take he could form just by their first time together was well- she was the one who helped him get away from the same meddling group, possibly making others squint at her even more. Especially since they were dead set on trapping Zuke there to hear of what he can say about their piece of art. But that’s not it, he too recalled their little conversation after. The time they spent was… quaint, peaceful. The fact that she was listening to him as well… that… 

Zuke furrowed his brow, a hand came up to hold his chin as he fell deep in thought. As he took the stairs up, it finally dawned on him why it all bothered him. His eyes scanned the ground floor of Arca Vis once more, capturing a glimpse of the painting displayed by itself at the back of the lounge from the distance. 

_It’s just a coincidence._

* * *

Up on the sky bridge Nadia was slowly losing hope of ever finding the rightful owner to these keys, but...what else could she do? And getting a replacement key for her car was going to come with its own price tag as well, one that on her budget she would not be able to afford. Sure her parents would help her, but Nadia feared hearing their disappointment at how fast she slipped up. There had been no sign of the tech student anywhere and trying to search through all of Balastik Tech’s buildings would almost certainly be a futile mission. Nadia’s worries were starting to grow, but thankfully the foot traffic carried on as time ticked by. Her eyebrows furrowed in thought, but no solution came. With a nervous hand, she pulled the same hand mirror from yesterday from her pant pocket and examined her face. Bright green eyes studied the reflection intently as she turned her head so the left side was more visible in the compact mirror. 

Flawless. 

Not a single speck of that vibrant pink shone through the layers of skillfully applied cream makeup and foundation. The art student let out a sigh and shut her eyes as she once again put the mirror away. Force of habit. Relieved at least over that, Nadia let her shoulders relax as she gazed out the window once more. 

“Still no sign of him. The rain does seem to be letting up at least for now.” She said to herself softly. With nothing else to do and clinging to a small shred of hope before having to bite the bullet and search the school grounds, Nadia pulled out her phone and started scrolling through social media. 

_Maybe we have a mutual in common...I should check the other Breakout Artist’s accounts I suppose since they seemed enamored with him yesterday._

Meanwhile, Zuke was relieved that the artists were right about the direction. There was a small bit of doubt in him that they may have taken the opportunity to pull something at him, at least it won't be the first time for someone whose often gullible as he is to have dealt with. However, his mind didn't linger long on the thought. No, instead, he eyed the stained glass presented at each side of the bridge. At least, the Arca Vis side of it. As the tech student followed the course of the traffic, he spotted every detail of the hall; there's ceiling decors in a form of shapes that reminds him of running water, though its multicolor nature made it seem like a coursing stream of paint. The floor itself is different from the simple ceramic tiles, concrete and industry steel floors that Balastik Tech has, it's carpeted and has motif floorings that convey even more emphasis on art and flow of creativity. The further you walk from the Arca Vis side however, the smaller and more invisible those emphasis become, as if to change into a different kind of mindset and blend to the shifting one that Balastik Tech seems to have; Established Logic and Formulated Science. Something that, for Zuke, was his calling… or at least the only safe calling he could answer. 

Getting lost in his thoughts while walking is the last thing Zuke wanted right now, and he only realized it after bumping into a couple people on his way. Thankfully they didn’t seem to mind, but having to whisper his ‘sorry’ and avoid making any eye contact with the people he bothered was starting to get to him. He needed to think, needed to focus back on his mission; "Find West, get the campus tour, find Eve, and return the key," Zuke mumbled to himself, repeating the words over and over as he traversed through the side line of the crowded hallway. 

By a sheer stroke of luck, Nadia noticed a familiar shade of green from her peripheral view, forcing her to pause her seemingly endless scrolling on her phone. She picked her head up just in time to notice the out of place man she met from yesterday trying his best to go against the current of the busy walkway. Blessed by her height, the art student had no problem getting a better view to really identify him right from where she sat. Nadia hummed to herself while she studied the person in question, his timid body language making him stand out even further.

_Zuke...? I...I think thats him. Blue hair, slightly above average height…a lil aloof._

“Um, Zuke?” She asked hesitantly before calling out more firm in her assumption and waved a hand in the air to hopefully grab the student’s attention.

The tech student perked up and stopped in place, was he hearing things or did someone just called him? Crimson eyes scanned the surrounding hall, he even tiptoed up to see if he could find the person calling for him. 

“Hey, Zuke! Over here, by the window!”

And just like that, he finally found where the voice came from… and erm- who was it again? Nadia! Zuke's face lit up at the sight, waving his hand up at her as he made his way through the crowd. 

"Erm, hi- Nadia was it? Sorry, I- well, it's been a long day," Zuke bowed slightly and played with his shirt's collar, all while staring at the floor. How long has she been waiting?

The art student seemed unbothered by his shyness and scooted over on the bench to let him sit next to her. She giggled at his words and nodded her head.

“Y-Yeah! I know what you mean! Kind of hard to get your bearings when you have the wrong set of keys right?” Nadia took no time in getting to business even though she was also feeling embarrassed at the switch up.

 _"Well-"_ Zuke rolls his eyes around as he thinks of how he handled the ordeal; between getting stuck on a hallway for hours, losing focus from the rain which stirred him to take shelter in the wrong building, and having to deal with some students… "It's all fine- I was just uh- nervous is all." He shrugged as he sat down next to her, sparing inches between them. 

“Gosh I hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble, I’m really lucky to have found you here, I was beginning to think I’d have to call my parents already and let them know I already had a mishap, haha! How lame…” She trailed off and broke eye contact, rubbing her arm nervously for a moment before shaking her head, brushing off the thought.

“B-but you are here! You are here in front of me! It appears we have saved each other, Zuke, wouldn’t you agree?”

Just like that, Nadia was all back to smiles as she held out his keychain to him. To which Zuke quickly took out her keychain and held it out to her as well, all while holding the back of his head and smiling sheepishly. 

"That's a good way to put it, yeah… yeah!" He chortled, "Were you... looking for me in BT…? I-I mean- I'm sorry that I made you go on this uh… wild hide and seek game- I was being clumsy and here we are! I.. hope it isn't too much trouble for you too…?" 

Oh who is he kidding? He's holding her car keys as well, there must be a lot of trouble that he brought along with his clumsiness. The thoughts swirled within Zuke's head, though he tried to push it aside. Which only made him look more stiff than before. The blonde happily reclaimed her keys and placed his keys in his hand gently before answering him, eyes examining his hands briefly before bringing her gaze back to his.  
  
“Hm? Oh, yes. Yes I actually did end up walking over to see if I could find any trace of you. It's um...surprisingly difficult to try and track someone down with just their first name.” She said with a nervous laugh.

“Ahh, but it is ok. Once I ran out of ideas, I just decided to sit here and wait, I even went through the other artist’s social media, see if they posted anything vague about...- I’m sorry, this is completely off topic, but...do you perhaps play the drums?” She felt herself trail off from her main thought quite easily. “I couldn’t help but notice the form of your hands.” Even before the question left her mouth, Nadia could feel just how out of place it sounded and she quickly tried to make things less awkward, stammering an apology in the process as she waved her hands in front of her. “Oh gosh that sounded so weird, I’m sorry, I-i am so sorry! I have a bad habit of commenting on small features like that. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot!”

"I-It's fine! You… aren't really putting me on the spot- believe me, I'd know." Was it really that apparent? Then again, no one has… really noticed it, yet here it felt like it was obvious enough to not see it. Zuke blinked his widened eyes and turned to look between his two hands, furrowing his brow as he tried to see what could be the dead give away. 

Was it the way he held the keys? Moved his arms?? His bookish fingers??? Curiosity got the best of him yet again and there's only one way to find out for sure... 

"How could you… tell? I-I mean- ye-yeah, I've played drums… but… n-no one could really tell right away so- it- kinda surprises me…" Zuke said as he lowered his hands to his knees and locked eyes with Nadia.

She felt embarrassed under his stare and shyly tucked away a piece of her behind her ear before answering. “Well, um, if you truly wish to know.” She began, glancing down at his hands again before meeting his eyes. 

“Typically...people who work with their hands a lot tend to have some wear to them, regardless of age. Our bodies have this tendency to uh, form around constant positions and things we do repeatedly over years. Drummers in particular tend to have some signs of calloused skin, not that yours is in bad shape or anything! Just, small things, the shape of your knuckles along your long fingers, the thicker skin as well, its um...Well it's something very small, but I kind of had a small hunch.” The longer she spoke, the smaller she felt. It’s not often someone asks her for how she views things and if Nadia’s past was a good indicator, most people don’t ask again or they simply don’t understand. 

“That and seeing you at the concert yesterday, there was a moment where you were air drumming too, but not like how most people pretending to play would do so. It was rhythmic, and well thought out...Hehe, wow, listen to me, I sound like I studied you.” Nadia concluded with a laugh and broke from his stare, glancing back out the window and silently hoping she didn’t come off too strong as she knew she was prone to doing. 

Knuckles and skin? Zuke finally broke off the stare and stared down at his hand once more, lifting it up to get a closer look at the mentioned part of his hands. After a quick squint and rub over his poked out knuckles, then a quick look to the crowd and noticing the difference in people’s hands with his, Zuke’s eyes widened once more. “You’re… You’re right! Man, how didn’t I notice this before??” He said with hints of gleeful excitement in his tone, before his eyes were back to the artist once more, this time with a slightly eased smile on his face. “Well, my brother never did have these before- he didn’t play drums as often as I do- prefers rapping but- y-yeah.” 

The mention of him air drumming finally brought Zuke flustered once more, he must’ve been doing it subconsciously like before... The outed drummer turned his eyes to the side, all while chuckling nervously. If his own highschool memory taught him anything, his ‘odd’ habits would more often than not lead him into becoming the class’ clown. Though this time… this time Zuke didn’t feel the suppressing embarrassment that shoved him back to his shell, there’s… actually a growing confidence in his chest! And these redness on his cheek, it felt oddly nice ...Huh. 

“You’re… very observant and thoughtful,” Zuke cleared his throat before staring back at Nadia. “I-I mean, no one really caught that before you so- I guess it’s important to be like that when you’re an artist, huh?”

“Hm? Oh um, well I suppose it is important.” Nadia replied, once again returning her attention to him. “An artist’s methods differ from person to person, some like to focus on the big picture and create things for face value concepts and ideas. Like um...Things you can grasp at first glance. However, I tire of those rather easily and prefer to create things that force the viewer to take a second glance or to think. Something that brings them to a deeper meaning of sorts…” She paused in thought, wondering if she was even making sense to Zuke before deciding to continue, being cautious to avoid getting too personal. 

“I suppose having an eye for small details just came naturally over the years. Thank you.”

"Y-You're welcome." Zuke reaches back and brushes his hair once more, playing with it in an attempt to contain the fluster that would have grown too obvious. Although… what Eve said stuck to his head and he couldn't help but settle in thought. To think there's more ways to see art and appreciate the different ways it represents… but the latter...

"Hrmm, so hiding the true meaning of the artwork to draw in people who's curious enough to pay attention to the details, people who wanna peel back those layers to find the meaning behind it, put effort into thinking about it just as much as you… make… the art?" Zuke mumbled as he tilted his head to the side in thought. It took a mere second for him to realize what he just said and quickly scoffed, waving his hand about dismissively and nervously as he said, "Pssh, look at me talking. I'm one to talk, aren't I? I uh- should've left the whole… art talk to the artist and leave the tinkering talk to the tinkerer. Heh."

He could feel eyes on him already, certainly not from Eve but he could feel it. Zuke turned to his surroundings quickly, scanning the crowd. The busy traffic at the bridge made it harder for him to find where the observing eyes are, and he's sure someone is watching. Where's West anyway? What’s taking him so long? The thought finally dawned on him and the engineer couldn't help but to worry, if only just a bit.

Zuke’s words made Nadia smile and she chuckled, feeling more at ease. The sound was enough to draw the drummer's attention back to her once more. Crimson eyes stared widely for a moment at the expression, before Zuke chuckled along.

“Nonsense, anyone can tap into their creative side! After all, don’t think I’ll soon forget the words you said about my portrait. Pretty clear to me that there’s an artist’s soul sleeping in there somewhere underneath that engineering brain of yours, Zuke.” She said nonchalantly as she pulled out her pocket mirror once again. 

Zuke blinked, did she … was she actually listening to his rambles before?? The drummer shook his head in an attempt to shrug off the thought. "R-Really? Me? I'm- ehhh, I'm not... much of an artist- I don't really consider myself as one either- I just… I like to play the drums on occasion and just practice them from time to time. B-Beside… I uhhh- no one really needs to be an artist to have an eye for ermm… art!" And part of it is true, at least to Zuke's knowledge.

Nadia checked over her reflection in the mirror while they continued their small talk. When satisfied, she put it away and stole a glance down to her left hand, eyes widening slightly 

_Is that...did I miss a **spot?** Oh not now! How am I going to get out of this? _

“Oh, Zuke, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I just remembered I promised to meet my roommate for a late lunch!” Nadia interjected, hoping she was masking her internal worries well enough. As the tall student stood up, she grabbed her umbrella and was ready to leave before she felt herself halt, realizing just how awkward she was probably acting. Nadia turned on her heel to look at him one more time just in time to see Zuke quickly stand up as well, watching her prepare to go. Part of him wished they could stay a little longer, at least until the rain outside died down. Or even ask if he could come along, then again… he wouldn't have the courage to ask. With a reassuring smile, Zuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged.

"I-It's alright! Sorry for keeping you here, I ahh… need to go find my brother anyway. I was supposed to meet him here but, I think I need to look for him."

“O-oh, right, um..well… this is likely the last time our paths will cross so, I wish you well in your studies, Zuke! And I hope you keep playing the drums, maybe one day I’ll get to hear you on stage somewhere! And...And you can bet you’ll be seeing more of my work ok? Maybe I too will share my music with you!” Despite her best efforts, Nadia couldn’t shake how out of place she sounded, despite finding it very easy to talk to the Balastik Tech student over the past two days. Never failed. It was inevitable that at some point, things would become awkward. Before she could let her mind continue to swirl with more negative thoughts and worries, Nadia said her goodbyes and took off into the crowd, paying no mind to the person walking past her.

Her words made Zuke giggle in thought, oh to entertain that idea would be… nice. He never really considered performing on a stage, not without his brother. Not only that, to stand out there and put out his own music… before, it was something Zuke looked forward to, but… perhaps… perhaps the future may still hold that for him. Zuke can only hope. "Good luck with your study too! Looking forward to more of your artwork and yeah, maybe someday!" He said out loud, just enough for her to hear it. As Zuke watched her disappear into the crowd, he whispered under his breath,"Here's hoping…" 

That's all Zuke can ever do, hope. Today could very well be the last of their encounter and in any other situation, he would've been fine with it. Too many times the reassuring words that people who met him said to him before they parted ways ended in disappointment; he learned his lesson not to look forward to it again. However, to have a genuine conversation, especially from someone who took time to notice what he says, take it into consideration and… consider him to be an artist? Sorta? Zuke shook his head with a sigh and rummaged his pocket for his phone, bringing the screen up close to his face. 

Suddenly, a hand pat his shoulder. 

_"Hohooo, not even a week and Zukie Zuke already got his eyes on a girlie girl~,''_ come the words belonging to a tall man standing right behind Zuke. Which startles the poor engineer, not from his sudden appearance, but for his voice whispering teasingly at him. 

"Wha- _West?!_ " Zuke turned around and stared up at his brother with cocked brows and crossed arms, "Where were you?! I thought you forgot where we were meeting!!" He hissed quietly, not wanting to make any scene. 

West, standing a head taller than Zuke, looked down at the engineer with a smug grin on his face. "I was around! See ya talking with some missy so I was just being a gentleman and let you two talk! See how you're doing talking to girls now that you're in college, I was ready to waltz in and help you out if you fail this one too. Remember, like the first year of Highschool?" 

Zuke rolled his eyes at that, followed with a huff. "We're not awkward teens anymore, West. And besides, I can manage my own now and I'm doing fine so far!"

"HAH! Sureeeee, bro. Sureeeee." West chuckled, puffing his chest out and fixing his own dreaded hair. "No, but seriously, Zuke. Did you hit on her? She looks like your tyyyype~"

 _Oh, that's it._ Zuke lets out another huff before turning his back on his brother, walking off toward Balastik Tech's direction. "First of all, I wasn't hitting on her. Second, you… can't possibly tell, West. You just can't." 

The older brother simply followed suit after quickly catching up to his little sibling, having more confidence in his steps between the two of them. "I was just kidding! Why so serious, Zuke?"

"Let's just go." And with that, Zuke fell quiet once more, taking the chance to think of the thoughts Eve had left him with, _There's an artist soul sleeping in there somehow._

Maybe she had a point...

* * *

As the days carried on and the student body all got adjusted into their new, diverging paths, Nadia was right. It had been two months since she had seen anyone outside of her Arca Vis group. This meant she hadn’t seen her engineering acquaintance in roughly the same amount of time either. No matter, the art university kept her far too busy at the moment to even entertain the thought of letting herself get off track. This was just one of the six years she’d be spending learning new things and unlearning old habits, the latter portion of course being what was focused on during these undergrad years. At least for these next two. It was all down to an organized science in her mind essentially, and no matter how tired or frustrated she got, Nadia’s end goal of becoming a one of a kind, unique artist amongst others would be met. She would catch herself daydreaming during her art history class, of how it would be. Being able to inspire others and create in every sense of the word. Vinyl City would be _begging_ for her talent by the time she was done here. Unlike most of her life, things seemed to be going well in her social life at the moment too. Riesz and her grew closer and she was glad to have the more mellowed out artist help her keep it all together. As roommates and colleagues, Riesz’s personality worked well with Nadia’s. She was much more relaxed of a person, and though she really didn’t get much of Nadia’s hidden messages in her art, Riesz respected her craft. Sometimes, that was enough. If Nadia was honest with herself, that was _much_ more than what she would have gotten in the past from other classmates. The thought elicited a tinge of pain within her chest, pulling her from her daydream just in time to see Riesz had already copied all the notes for today’s class.

“You ok, Eve? You seem more out of it than usual today.” She heard her roommate ask as they walked from the art building and through the campus grounds.

“Hmm? Oh, yes I am fine. Just had a late night I suppose.” Nadia responded as they sat on a bench next to the central fountain. Riesz gave her a knowing look.

“Why don’t you ever sleep in? It’s not like you have a morning class. Well, an early one at least. You’re always up and ready to go before I even get up, and I’m the unlucky one here with a class at 8 A.M! '' Riesz said with a hearty laugh, shaking her head. Nadia was taken off guard by the question and stayed real quiet while she internally panicked. She had done well to become friends with Riesz, and by some miracle, she hadn’t screwed it up yet. Her strategy of keeping her skin condition a secret seemed to be working in her favor, but...maybe she could let at least her roommate in on the secret.

_Maybe..._

The blonde stayed quiet in thought and Riesz leaned back against the bench, looking towards the sky. Nadia quickly banished her thought and nervously laughed. 

“Blame it on my internal clock!” She exclaimed, hoping it was believable. Riesz glanced over to her, smiled and then chuckled.

“You don’t gotta tell me. Just, don’t over do it, alright? Who else will I crack jokes about the snobby art sharks with if ya keel over?” 

Nadia smiled and nodded. She felt bad for lying and embarrassed that Riesz didn’t believe it for a second, but glad that her roommate just left it at that. One day she’ll tell her. One day she’ll show everyone. Just...not right now.

“Well, we should probably head to the conference room, don’t wanna be late, lest we get an earful again from Miss President herself, ugh.” Riesz groaned and rolled her eyes. Nadia agreed and the pair took off once more.

Her college life so far proved to fall into a cycle easily enough. Classes were tedious, but manageable, the Break Out Artists all had weekly check-ins to assess grade reports as well as do their own critique amongst peers. Nadia dreaded those days, but did her best to sift through the initial comments long enough to obtain the constructive criticism that came from the Dean of Students as well as the scholarship club president. As for the others, aside from Riesz, she did her best to brush off their comments that they whispered behind her back and the odd looks they gave her. Needless to say, they took a toll on her social threshold. Despite all of it, however, she had done her best to stick to this new routine, her professors enjoyed her work, she met a very lively and aspiring rap artist in one of her painting classes and even though he could be a bit vain, Nadia found herself enjoying his company; she found him interesting, his words were poetic when he was deep in his craft. Pure artistry, she told him one day. Perhaps another friend, but it was early to tell. She just had to convince herself she could keep up this rouse long enough. She was strong enough. She could do it. She could finally, _finally_ pretend she belonged somewhere.

When her day was finally done and she had properly showered and laid down for the night, Nadia could feel just how tired her body and mind were. She looked over to where Riesz was sleeping soundly. She was almost envious, watching briefly how comfortably Riesz was able to sleep. To just lay down at the end of the day and rest, then be able to just wake up and get dressed and go. No extra hours attributed to having to hide half of yourself _daily_. No waiting until you are all by yourself to remove said makeup at ungodly hours of night.

Sometimes it just got to her, and yet, Nadia still decided things were better this way. Or rather, the world _taught her_ things were better this way. But the biggest thing she hated of all?

The world had been _right_ , if her current comfort among peers was any indication.

_It can’t be though...can it?_

Nadia sighed to herself, double checked her alarm, inwardly groaned at seeing 2 A.M. for the third time that week, and went to sleep. In the morning, she would wake up and do the same routine once more. The weekends were slightly better, but the cycle repeated inevitably. Time. The hands of time waited for no one. Nadia reminded herself of all the good things she was experiencing and accomplishing, and held onto that. No one said college would be easy, and certainly not down the path she was going, but she was determined at the root. Knee deep in the middle of her first semester and everything she is doing, she just kept sight of her goals, no matter how tired she got. For once in her life she wasn’t alone. They may not understand her fully, but she wasn’t alone. 

_I’ll deal with that part later..._

Within minutes of finishing her contemplation, the artist fell sound asleep, body finally relaxing.

* * *

For the engineer student, the passage of time could be felt immensely. Work began to pile quicker than he could count the days, from calculating bits to learning every line of code that acted as a cogwheel in a machine or system’s intricate design. Every passing second wasted on not working on anything meant less time to complete a project, rushing an assignment turned out to be inevitable, but despite it all, the determined student presses on and tries to put out his best work. He _has_ to, and others in his class bear the same mindset. Well, at least some of them. There wasn’t a time during class where Zuke would take a moment to breathe, sit back, and observe his surroundings, the sight of other students with their eyes stuck to their books reminds him a lot of the machine he’s studying to make. As the months passed, empty seats began to pop up here and then, a sight that planted the seed of dread and worry in the engineering student’s mind. What reason does these students just… go? Did they find out that engineering wasn’t for them? Were they tired of the grind they need to commit to? Will he be next?? But before Zuke could fall deeper down the question rabbit hole, the assignments he has pulled him back away from those choking thoughts. There’s not a time in his ever filling schedule for him to stop for matters of doubts and worries, if he doesn’t want to end up like the students who left their seats. So, everything repeats itself for the next two months; wake up in the morning, walk to school, attend classes, lunch break, further class, walk back to the dorm, finish all assignments as he possibly could, and sleep. That’s all he needs to do to possibly survive the year of studies, though how long it takes for it to start getting on his nerves becomes a constant worry in Zuke’s mind, one that refuses to leave and remains longer than any other thoughts. 

Thankfully for him, the Environmental Advancement club acted as a break from the usual daily cycles of his life so far. A way for him to put his studies into actual good use and practice, especially with the club’s own effort to help Vinyl City directly. Working on the club’s current invention to take care of the flooding matters around the city as well as the litter of junk that clogs up the sewer system, figuring out a way to implement the ideas he and others have hatched for the machine itself. Something that Zuke would see himself doing in the future, to create something that would contribute to the city he wished to see flourish. A taste of what that life may feel like, and yet... Something bothers him, a frustrating lump in his chest and an answer that always escapes his mind, teasingly convincing him that _there’s something missing._ It bothered him before and it bothers him now, with the prototype schematic staring back at him from his desk, yet his mind was somewhere else other than the work he needed to do.

“Zuke?”

Hadi’s familiar voice snapped Zuke out of his thoughts, the man stood next to his desk with a look of worry and nervousness mixed on his face. Right, Hadi was in this club too. Still, it surprised him how they just ended up in the same club. Except from what he could recall, Hadi was more than willing to join the club than he was initially. “What’s wrong?” Zuke asked as he leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to recover from his daze. 

“There’s someone waiting for ya outside the club room, said you know them or something?” Hadi shrugged, “Pretty sure they’re not from our school.”

Could it be the artist from two months ago? The thought sparked a bit of excitement within Zuke as he pushed his seat back, quickly bolting up. "Oh! Uhh, I'll… go see them right now!" 

"Sure man," Hadi responded, taking the seat his roommate had left to sit on while watching him march quickly to the door. All full of vigor like he just drank a mug full of coffee.

Questions and topics began popping into Zuke's mind as he walked past the few club members who were walking about with their own projects, careful not to bump into any of them nor the tables on the way. _How was your day? How was your week? No- month been??_ The question moved itself up to the top, followed by questions regarding her art and classes. With how much work has piled up for Zuke, there was hardly any time for him to check on his phone. Even if there was, it's usually for more work involving a group chat or well- West. But that doesn't matter now, he could ask her of her works! How her art journey has been and the new creations she possibly has made! 

Just as he opened the door and turned to the walls of the hall, who should be standing there but… oh, West. 

The burly man in white shirt and rugged jeans vest turned toward Zuke with a big toothy smile, approaching him with joy in his steps and his voice as he shouted, "Zuke! How ya been, lil bro?!" 

The next thing that Zuke knows is that he was swept off the ground with big arms wrapped around him tightly. Thankfully for the poor little brother, the hug didn't last long enough to suffocate him. Still, the younger let out a relieved sigh before locking eyes with his brother. "I've been fine, got loads of homework and club projects to do so… I don't really have time to go hang out and stuff… if… that's what you're here for- so, sorry." 

"Don't worry lah, bro! I know you freshman are busy with surviving that first year, I was there too y'know? Been on that grind before." West patted his brother's back, earning a slight smile from him. "Take it from me, bro. Comes next year and it ain't gonna stress you out at all! I mean look at me, I'm as free as a kite right now! Everything'll go easy peasy soon!" 

Zuke let out a chuckle at that. Oh to be so carefree and relaxed… "Even if it can't… I'll manage, somehow- but I know I will…" There was a moment of quiet between them as Zuke stared down, a sigh escaping him as the excitement he had before began to die down. Not completely, having West visit him from time to time was… nice. His big brother looked after him, just as they were before… and thankfully, this time, West didn't seem to have any of his followers to accompany him… for now. "Oh um, I should get back to work though… trying to think up a way to design… stuff… for our project, you know- usual… Balastik Tech stuff." 

The burly man titled his head, raising a brow in confusion. "Design? Are you sure you can do that? Ya need any help, you know you can come to me! Handy ain't it? Having a big bro from Arca Vis here ready to help ya nerds with artistic matters like design and all!" 

"It's not _that_ hard, besides, it's just a matter of fitting in some technical mechanism and figuring out how it works with other mechanisms without any matters of overheating or colliding machinery." 

All these intricate explanations sure are a lot to take in, nothing West could really put his head around. But the troubled look on his brother's face tells him just enough that he needs to help the poor freshman with his work, and also give him some break. _Hrmm… break…_ The older rubs his chin in thought while another hand of his rest on his hips. Though as soon as an idea came to his mind, he quickly held them up and snapped his finger, drawing the attention of the shorter. "I know you're busy and everything but… ya haven't really gotta chance to explore the city, have ya?" 

It took Zuke a second to realize where this is leading up to, just as quickly as he shook his head. "No no no no, West-" 

"Yes-"

"No-"

"Yes!" 

"West!" Zuke raised his voice slightly, then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't, man. I need to finish up my homework, I have plans this weekend to at least make time to finish that cuz I'll be spending the next few days working on this club project and also other assignments! Not to mention the group project I need to go to for meet ups and all- I have a schedule! I can't make time for hangs out and town visits-" 

A huff escapes West, typical Zuke… always with the planning and sticking his head deep in works for that credit and such. No wonder he looks like a lifeless zombie dragging himself around, _but maybe…_

"So you don't wanna go have a… _Drumbeat Mania_ break?" 

Finally, Zuke's furrowed brows raised at the mention of the old familiar game machine, one he knows too well. "You're kidding me," he crossed his arms, "They don't have that machine up and running anymore in town, I doubt they even have it here…" 

The grin on West's face seems to say otherwise, yet the man's only responses are, "Ya wanna find out?" 

Zuke ponders the question for a moment, something he internally scoffs at yet at the same time… when was the last time he played that game? Last year of elementary school? From what he knows, the machine ran out of popularity ever since the new dance step games and tap screen rhythm games. Not to mention the factory it was from didn't offer anymore services to the machine, so when the thing broke… well, some songs couldn’t be played and in the end, the machine went immediately to the scrap yard. Or sold to a collector. 

It was a game of his childhood, the thing he looked forward to playing along with West after school, beside playing the taiko machine game. It's what brought them together and well, it's what kept Zuke from the stress of school and fear of what he needed to face the day after. A small break where he can be lost in the beat of the rhythmic drums and use those percussion to be just… wild. 

Crimson eyes stared at his brother, who seems to still be smiling knowingly at him. Why wouldn't he? The man knows his weakness and everything. With a sigh, Zuke brushed his hair back and nodded. "This weekend it is…" 

"Yes!"

"But just the two of us! Bros day out, I don't… I can't deal with big crowds right now." 

"Can I bring one friend? I mean come on bro, just the two of us? How boring would that be?! Also, don't we need a referee for when we play Drumbeat Mania?" 

Zuke rolled his eyes. _Well he’s got a point..._ "ONE person, that's all. Or just… don't bring anyone- if you want someone to see you win in Drumbeat Mania that badly, why can't we just record it?"

"Ey, it's not about winning and losing! It's about that good, chilling, and fun vibes yeah?" 

"If you say so…" said Zuke as he threw a quick squint at his brother. Pretty sure this isn't the first time he heard him say that, and definitely not the first time it ends up not being as relaxing as he thought. Maybe for West it is since he's winning.

But maybe… maybe this is what he just needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to take this moment once again to thank all of you for reading this far and bearing with us while the winter took its toll on both of us. We are back and in motion for chapter 3 and it should NOT take nearly as long to get out. Rune and I will most like be doing a mix between aggie io collabs and csp collabs until we get a better feel for what exactly works best for both of us as we proceed!  
> Fun fact! Mer did the cover art piece for this chapter, the skybridge piece was a collab in aggie io, and the final poster was a csp collab worked on remotely!  
> I can say this that there are about 2 more chapters max for the freshmen year arc and from there we will choose specific moments through their 6 years of college to hone in on and ones we want to explore or showcase the build for their relationship and how their lives are going in their own work as well. We have so many ideas and scenes we want to share and I can only wish to be able to continue and see this project through to the end. Never have I worked so hard on a written work and be joined by someone with an equal work ethic! Till then!  
> -Merluvli  
> P.S. You can keep up with all our art, musings and daily posts on both of our twitters:  
> https://twitter.com/merluvli  
> https:/twitter.com/RuneSho


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